Displaying items by tag: COVID19
How Cruises International is Helping Travelers Explore the World...Virtually
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” No, we aren’t talking about love, but instead Travel. Going on four months since the beginning of travel bans being put in place, Cruises International is finding people are wanting to travel now more than ever!
Since many cruises are suspended and resorts are temporarily closed, travelers are postponing their trips and looking to the future to take their vacations. However, this doesn’t mean they need to stop exploring the world! Cruises International is hosting three unique Virtual Travel Series, broadcasting live on their Facebook page. The quick, virtual getaways highlight unique destinations, exciting ship tours, and insider knowledge from expert Travel Advisors to inspire future travels.
If you are seeking a chance to experience what a day on a cruise ship or private island entails, you will find it during Royal Lunch Hour every Friday at 12pm CST. Life onboard is never dull, with ever-evolving enhancements, such as laser tag, rock climbing, and the FlowRider, a surfing simulator.
To slow things down, take in the views on a relaxing river cruise while sipping a glass of wine during Travel Virtually with Viking every Thursday at 11am CST. Embark on a journey that will take viewers to the city-center of historical destinations in the matter of minutes. Plus, be the first to hear about new destinations coming soon to the USA and Polar regions!
Looking to do more exploring on land? Grab your “cuppa” and tune in for High Tea with Cruises International every Tuesday at 4pm, the traditional time for High Tea, to be transported to a different bucketlist-worthy destination every week, sure to spark your wanderlust.
All shows are completely free and do not require a Facebook account to tune in. The travel shows are recorded and available online to view at your own leisure. Those of all ages will enjoy!
Click Here to tune in at time of event.
Click Here to view past recordings.
“Because we are all passionate about the joy that exploring the world brings to our lives, many of you are already rebooking your greatly anticipated vacations for later in 2020 and into 2021. Whenever you are ready, we are here for you, before, during, and after your travels,” stated Ines Turus, President.
Local Travel Agency Pulls Together to Bring Travelers Home Safely
April 22, 2020
For Cruises International – Land and Sea, business as usual has taken on a different meaning. With the outbreak of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, Cruises International advisors are their clients’ most valuable advocate. They have been working day and night to bring clients who were traveling home to their families and helping those with plans to rebook at later dates.
When the travel ban was initiated, travelers on their vacations were struck with panic. Flights and cruises were being cancelled. Resorts were being closed. Passengers could not reach the cruise lines and travel companies which were being inundated with phone calls. When they were successful getting through, they were facing wait-times of three hours or more.
While Cruises International’s phones were steadily ringing, travelers were still able to get right through with zero hold time. During this time, travel policies were changing daily and clients were turning to Cruises International for guidance to rebook and most importantly, get home safely.
”Our top priority was to make sure our guest were able to find flights to return home safely”, says Josie Beecher, Travel Advisor, Marketing & Communications Coordinator. “We worked around the clock to bring our clients home expediently. We were the first line of contact and did the work of changing flights and bookings, obtaining future travel credits, or refunds. We are dedicated advocates for our clients and male sure they receive the maximum credit or refund possible.”
Avid cruisers Judie & David R. commented, “After our cruise was cancelled, the cruise line originally offered a credit of 125% of what we had paid [for future travel]. We accepted and were pleased with the offer. A few days later the cruise line called Sheryl and told her that they would only offer 100% credit. When Sheryl heard this, she went to work and insisted that they give us the 125% they first offered. Her persistence won and we are getting the 125% credit for our next cruise and refunds of all the extras we had planned.”
Thankful that travelers are now safe at home, Cruises International offers their travel assistance to the community they’ve been a part of for over 40 years. In support of the country's efforts to reduce exposure to the virus, Cruises International – Land and Sea has arranged for staff to work remotely from home. Advisors are available to you by phone, email and video conferencing by appointment.
Hours of availability are Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm. Please email or call our advisors, accounting department, management or support teams, with no hold time. Cruises International will continue to provide the prompt, knowledgeable service they have always provided for the last 40+ years. You are never alone when you book with Cruises International.
“Because we are all passionate about the joy that exploring the world brings to our lives, many of you are already rebooking your greatly anticipated vacations for later in 2020 and into 2021. Whenever you are ready, we are here for you, before, during, and after your travels,” stated Ines Turus, President.
5 Reasons You Need a Travel Advisor Now More Than Ever!
Schaumburg, Illinois – April 15, 2020 – For Cruises International – Land and Sea, business as usual has taken on a different focus for the past few months. With the outbreak of COVID-19, or Coronavirus Cruises International advisors are their clients’ most valuable advocate as they have been working to bring clients who were traveling home to their families and helping those with future plans rebook or cancel their plans.
As we look to the future, and return to our normal way of life, we will get back to planning our dream getaways. We do not have to wait. We can start planning now. With all the cruise and travel companies changing their policies frequently, how can one navigate through the chaos? The answer is to use an expert Travel Advisor from a reputable company, whose core business is Travel advice. Cruises International – Land and Sea with 40 years of experience providing guidance before, during, and after your travels.
Here are five reasons why using a trusted Travel Advisor is so important—especially now:
- They Are Your Advocate - They will arrange and negotiate refunds or Future Travel Credits when rebooking during this time of crisis. If something goes wrong, they will do everything in their power to make it right, providing peace of mind.
- They Keep You Safe - During the initial phase of this crisis, many travelers were overseas struggling to find flights home. Many were scared and confused. Cruises International Travel Advisors worked tirelessly rearranging flights and hotel reservations to ensure travelers got home safely.
- No Hold Times - Current hold times with large suppliers and box stores selling travel can sometimes mean HOURS! By using a trusted Advisor whose only business is travel, you will get immediate assistance. They will do the work for you.
- Strong Relationships with Suppliers - After being in business for over 40 years, Cruises International’s Travel Advisors have contacts with land and cruise suppliers exclusively available to Cruises International and their clients. Their persuasive power is key to getting what you deserve.
- Advice and Guidance – Cruises International will make sure their clients understand all the guidelines, policies and options. The devil is in the details!
The necessity of a travel advisor has never been more apparent, says Cruises International Client Jack Z., "My wife and I were planning our ‘baby-moon’ in Hawaii, and as first timers to the island we decided to reach out to a Travel Advisor at Cruises International for help. Not only did our Travel Advisor make the booking experience easy and cost-effective, but she helped us select the right island, resort, and itinerary to suit our needs and our budget - But then came the real value! Only a week before our trip was supposed to begin, the COVID-19 situation began to worsen rapidly and we were faced with some very difficult decisions about whether to travel and, if we decided not to, whether we'd be able to secure a refund of our deposit for air and hotel. The timing of everything was very uncertain, and we were in a very difficult position.
Our Travel Advisor stepped in and took care of everything; securing a full refund for our trip and putting our mind at ease the entire time. Having never booked with a travel agency before, I can say that I am certainly glad we did this time, and I look forward to doing so again when we reschedule. What a luxury to have so much of the nuts and bolts of our vacation planning taken care of for us!"
In support of the country's efforts to reduce exposure to the virus, Cruises International – Land and Sea has arranged for staff to work remotely from home. Advisors are available to you by phone, email and video conferencing by appointment.
Hours of availability are Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm. Please email or call our advisors, accounting department, management or support teams, as always. You should be able to get right through. If you are made to leave a message, you will receive a call back as soon as possible. Cruises International will continue to provide the prompt, knowledgeable service they have always provided for the last 40+ years. You are never alone when you book with Cruises International.
“Because we are all passionate about the joy that exploring the world brings to our lives, many of you are already rebooking your greatly anticipated vacations for later in 2020 and into 2021. Whenever you are ready, we are here for you, before, during, and after your travels,” stated Ines Turus, President.
About Cruises International – Land and Sea
Cruises International, Vacations Land & Sea is more than just “Travel Agents”, they are your personal concierge, your trusted Travel Advisors, your advocate. By taking the time to learn your preferences, your lifestyle and your goals, they make sure to recommend only the vacations that are right for you. They know your preferences are as unique as you are, because they believe every vacation should be your vacation of a lifetime.