Cruise Holidays Unveils New Online Cruise Booking Technology at Annual Convention

Cruise Holidays announced that they have entered into a two-year technology agreement with OurVacationStore (OVS). OVS will provide Cruise Holidays with a private labeled version their proprietary Internet cruise booking engine, called Cruise Manager. The announcement was made during the 2005 Cruise Holidays Annual Convention which was held aboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, October 16-21, 2005.

This new Cruise Holidays technology provides two modules – one for agents and another for consumers’ cruise bookings – which will give Cruise Holidays’ stores the flexibility to add what fits best for their individual location. Cruise Manager will allow franchisees to sell merchandise and promote preferred cruise vendors online, as well as increase efficiency, maximize profitability and enhance customer service. The technology gives Cruise Holidays franchisees online booking access to nine of the major cruise lines, facilitating cross-vendor shopping, the display of deck images and cabin photos, group bookings and inventory management, as well as booking and commission reporting.

“By including this cruise booking tool on individual store Web sites, Cruise Holidays franchisees are adding another dimension to the way they can help customers,” said Peter Thomson, Vice President and COO, Cruise Holidays. “Many consumers expect this kind of technology. We believe Cruise Manager, along with the personal attention and planning resources we currently provide, will enhance both the store location’s exposure and the ability of our Franchise cruise experts to continue to provide ‘best in class’ service to our customers.”

Cruise Manager will allow agents and consumers alike to purchase cruises online at special rates and to take advantage of exclusive Cruise Holidays amenities through their negotiated group space program. In addition, plans are underway to develop a seamless interface between Cruise Holidays’ proprietary operating system, CRUISEweb and Cruise Manager where bookings made via Cruise Manager are automatically stored and managed within the CRUISEweb system.

Cruise Holidays is the oldest and largest cruise-specialty Retail franchise in North America, with stores in both the United States and Canada. Founded in 1984, Cruise Holidays was acquired in 2001 by Carlson Travel Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest and most respected travel franchisers. Carlson Travel Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, Inc. Brands include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, SeaMaster Cruises, Carlson Leisure Travel Services, Carlson Vacation & Business Travel and Carlson Destination Marketing Services.