25 Oct 10 What a Meeting Planner Should Do On a Cruise

Many meeting planners get to go on company sponsored incentive cruises as one of the perks of the job but it is also often the product of the belief that a meeting planner does need to be present for meetings or events to be well executed. Here’s what a meeting planner on a cruise should consider doing to feel and actually be useful:

• Meeting with the concierge/host/hostess and restaurant managers on a frequent basis. It might be worth stopping by and making sure that all is well and that guest requests are being met. In some cases it might be possible to take a small portion of the load off the staff and look like an all-star by fulfilling very complex or complicated requests.
• Distribute promotional material and/or schedules. If there are materials that need to be distributed or messages that need to be sent, then it might pay to get on top of those chores as early and as frequently as possible.
• Ask what else needs to be done. You might be feeling like a fifth wheel, but if you want to be invited back on the next corporate cruise then you probably need to seem as useful and as busy as possible.
• Stay out of sight and out of trouble. If there is truly little to do other than enjoy yourself then do so in a quiet manner and do not stay in any one place too long as it may make you seem as if you have nothing to do. This is certainly not the impression that you want to give.

Tags: All Star, Belief That, Chores, Concierge, Corporate Cruise, Cruise Planners, Fifth Wheel, Frequent Basis, Guest Requests, Hostess, Incentive Cruises, Job, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Out Of Sight, Promotional Material, Quiet Manner, Restaurant Managers, Small Portion, Wheel