Cruise ships offer easy ways to add fun to business meetings
Stephen Dixon, chief development officer for Children's Lighthouse, an educational childcare franchise company, said his company's two cruise conventions seemed to promote "more camaraderie" than land-based venues where participants scatter during free time.
Where a land-based venue might charge extra for table linens, floral arrangements, audiovisual equipment and the like, that's all included on a cruise.
Jeanna Steele, a partner in Sea Planners Group, said cruise ships also make it easy to reserve 1,000 or more rooms for large meetings and conventions.
Today's ships offer a variety of recreational options that can also serve as team building exercises, from climbing equipment, basketball courts and thrill rides to pools, casinos, karaoke and nightclubs, as well as in-port excursions like cultural tours or nature walks.
"While our programing was spectacular, Internet access was not," said Bell, a former CNN executive producer who now has a public relations company, Perfect Pitch Media Group.
A spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association, Lorri Christou, said the industry has "made technological strides" and that most cruises today "offer a myriad of Wi-Fi, onboard texting and data options."