This issue’s cover story, “Cash In On Passion,” is about the huge business potential of theme cruises for travel agents. Not only are there great options for booking special-interest groups on cruises that already exist but, as you will read in the story, just a little bit of imagination can go a long way when trying to develop your own theme cruise.
One of the suggestions in the story is to think about the passions and pursuits in your own life and use that as a starting point for creating a theme. After all, if something gets you excited, it probably has the same effect on others. In fact, working on this story got me thinking about what some of the potential themes in my own life might look like to an agent.
Ken Shapiro is a Starbucks junkie (ah, fan). He is an alumnus of UCLA, Columbia University, Fairfax High School and Melrose Elementary School (yes, they even have groups based on elementary schools). He is a father, a baseball fan and a golfer. He loves books and, surprise, does a fair share of writing. He is hooked on the television show “Mad Men” and still listens to punk bands from the 1970s and ’80s. And, of course, he does a lot of traveling.
I can’t help thinking that, in that list, there is the basis for at least a few theme cruises. Try looking at your own interests from an outsider’s point of view and you might get the spark of an idea for your own cruise. Not only can booking a theme cruise be profitable for your bottom line, you might even have some fun — and meet a few people with similar interests — in the process.
On another note, I wanted to remind readers that our WAVE Awards voting is open until April 30. So, if you have not done so already, go to TravelAgeWest.com/Wave and cast your votes for your favorite suppliers and sales representatives in the West.
