This Week's Herman Trend Alert Women---Expanding their Sphere of Influence

The Herman Trend Alert December 2, 2009 Future of Cruising A water park with three slides, two bowling alleys, a rock climbing wall, and Las Vegas-level entertainment. No, we are not describing a new Disney or Gaylord resort; we are describing new cruise ships, currently on the drawing boards. Never mind the ports of call, cruise ships are becoming destinations. Norwegian Cruise Line's megaship Epic, launching in July, will feature 20 dining options, as well as offering the highly acclaimed Blue Man Group on its main stage, and jazz and comedy clubs provide lots of entertainment. Royal Caribbean's equally impressive Oasis of the Seas, launched just this week, provides its 5000+ passengers with many amenities, including a rope zip line that diagonally spans nine-decks above the ship's open-air atrium. Moreover, the ship has a Las-Vegas-style Royal Promenade and six other themed "neighborhoods", providing the opportunity to find personally relevant experiences. With ships as destinations, the trend is towards reducing the number of ports visited. With more days at sea, the cruise lines' onboard spas and casinos will earn higher revenues---a positive effect on the bottom line. According to a recent survey from America's Vacation Center Affiliates, 79 percent of consumers are currently buying on price, while 14 percent are buying on destination, and only seven percent make their buying decisions by cruise line. The agents polled in the Cruise One/Cruises, Inc. survey reported similar results, though in their findings even more consumers are buying on price (83.6 percent). With a trend toward people being cautiously optimistic, we are seeing more stability in bookings, although people are currently either booking far out or closer in. New Zealand and The Baltic Region are particularly hot attractions in the coming year. For the affluent traveler, most cruise lines offer private areas surrounding suites, closed to public access, some with butler service. Then there is the trend towards adventure cruising. If you have unlimited funds, you might want to take Crystal Cruises' special excursion "Extreme Overnight Adventure in Antarctica" for a mere $9957/night. Or you might choose to take Holland America's Cruise to the World Cup, stopping in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." EMPLOYERS AND JOBSEEKERS: MARK YOUR CALENDARS Advertise at or attend VetJobs Virtual Career Fairs. VetJobs, the top veterans' job board, and PSI, the premier diversity job fair producer, are teaming up to launch these VeteransCONNECT events. Employer registration is now open with loading by February 15th. Candidate loading begins March 1st. Expect 25-30 employers and an attendee goal of 2,000 skilled jobseekers. Promoted extensively, early registration begins NOW. To register or request additional information, contact VetJobs at 877-838-5627 or email info@vetjobs.com; Employers: Mention the Herman Trend Alert to receive a Bonus. LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE VALENTINE’S GIFT? Give the gift of leadership advice in our weekly Lessons in Leadership to help your supervisors and managers remind your leaders about what’s really important The 52-week subscription is only $47, a bargain when you think about the savings to your organization in reduced turnover. Quantity discounts available by emailing Joyce at joyce@hermangroup.com. http://www.hermangroup.com/store/subscription_all.html#3 Order today! PREVENT EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN 2012 Yes, you can prevent costly employee turnover, when you train your supervisors, managers, and executives. They will learn dozens of low and no-cost strategies and tactics that they can implement right away. We have an impressive track record and stand ready to help you. Call Carl at 336-210-3547 for a no-obligation conference call. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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