Thursday, August 13, 2009

American Express World Cruise For Weddings

American express world cruises are perfect for weddings. You can take a cruise ship to an exotic destination where you will finally tie the knot or you can simply get married on the cruise ship while it is floating out in the open sea. Another option is to have the marriage on the cruise ship where it is docked.

American express has put out some interesting facts about its American express world cruises for weddings. For instance over 1/3 of all destination weddings take place on a beach complete with a barefoot groom and a bride with flowers in her hair.(http://www.amttravel.com/cruise-lines/cruises-around-the-world.html)

A surprising number of couples actually get married on the cruise ship. This can happen any time of day, while the sun is rising over the horizon, during twilight, or on the moonlit decks beneath the stars.

Some American express world cruises also stop at worldwide famous resorts that offer free weddings for couples who book their wedding there. This of course saves the prospective couple an amazing amount of money. In fact it is often the willingness of these resorts to pay for the weddings that makes these trips to wedding destinations so attractive. An interesting face to know that the average number of guests that attends these weddings is 63-if you are looking for a smaller, intimate wedding, this may be a good choice for you.

Just how popular are these American express world cruises for weddings? Well it seems that destination weddings have grown in popularity over 400% in the last year alone. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that a destination wedding is four times less expensive than what it would cost to hold a regular "land-locked" celebration. Some of these packages can cost less than five thousand dollars!

Destination weddings are also cheaper because it is expected that the guests will pay for at least part of their attendance. This means that the bride and groom do not have to fork out money for tickets for an .html American express around the world cruise for weddings. Only those guests who can pull their own weight will be present on the cruise. (http://www.amttravel.com/cruise-lines/world-travel-cruises.html)

There is also something to be said for having something exciting to offer your guests. Travelling to an exotic vacation destination on a cruise ship offers your guests much more than the usual boring destination.

Another nice thing about American express world cruises for weddings is that they offer you the choice of being as casual or formal as possible. You can also have a more stress free wedding, especially if you have unpleasant relatives or simply just want to be more private. Your special day becomes an event that becomes much simpler.

You only need to worry about the basics like getting the dress, rings, and what kind of champagne you would like to drink. You don't have to worry about being a diplomat, arranging big fussy dinners, or who is going to sit next to each other at the wedding rehearsal dinners. American express world cruises offer you the opportunity to spend a great deal of quality time with your loved one.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Is A Travel Cruise Franchise Opportunity For You?

If your entrepreneurial mind is combined with a love of travel, you may want to consider a travel franchise. Cruise franchises can be particularly lucrative as evidenced by these data:

Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reported that the North American cruise industry grossed $35.7 billion, and global industry revenues were $20.6 billion-a 7 percent increase over the previous year. The number of cruisers also increased 7 percent from 2005 to 2006 for a total of 12 million people who took a cruise vacation. Americans accounted for 78 percent of that number. The total number of embarkations from U.S. ports was 9 million, representing a 4 percent increase over the previous year. Embarkations from American ports accounted for 75 percent of total, worldwide embarkations.

Cruising and travel are huge industries, and their are pieces of them available for franchisees.

Why Should I Buy a Franchise?

First, let's discuss some of the benefits of franchising in general:

When you buy into a franchise, you are gaining access to an established brand and a proven business plan with an existing consumer base. When dealing with well-known brands, there is an expected level of quality and consistency to which consumers have become accustomed. For example, no one thinks of a fast food restaurant as a place to get a really great meal, but we know we like the low prices. Although the food itself is mediocre, it is consistently mediocre, so we know what to expect each time we visit a restaurant. This is one of the major factors in the frequent repeat business enjoyed by fast food brands. However, this is just one example. Established expectations of quality and consistency contribute to success in all industries.

Additionally, a franchisor offers invaluable assistance in getting your business started. For example, the franchisor may aid you in the selection of a location, or-in the case of a home-based business-the franchisor may provide all the necessary equipment and teach you how to use it. You may receive advice on marketing, management and personnel. Many franchisors even provide continual support in the form of newsletters, toll-free access numbers and seminars. You will also have access to a network of other franchisees to whom you can turn for guidance.

Working with your franchisor's buying cooperatives, you will likely pay less for goods than your independent competitors.

All of these advantages amount to a significantly decreased risk of business failure.

Why Buy a Travel Franchise?

If you're interested in starting your own franchise business, travel and cruise franchises can be a wonderfully exciting way to fulfill that desire. Let's talk about a couple of specific franchise opportunities:

All About Honeymoons was recognized as one of the top new franchises for 2006 by Entrepreneur Magazine. This company has been the first to stake its claim in the niche market of honeymoons and destination weddings. If you think that niche sounds too narrow, consider this: There are nearly 2.5 billion weddings held in the United States each year, and 96 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon trip.

All About Honeymoons provides some unique benefits to couples making their wedding or travel plans, which translate to unique selling points for franchisees. For instance, couples receive a wedding webpage where they can post news about the upcoming event as well as a travel registry where friends and relatives can contribute to the honeymoon expenses.

New business owners in this travel franchise begin by attending a comprehensive training program that covers the finer points of the wedding and travel industries.

If it's cruises you want to sell through your new business, CruiseOne was recently named the top cruise franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine. You don't need any previous experience in the travel industry to get started in this franchise, and you can choose to work full or part time from your home or office.

Cruise franchises offer tremendous growth and earning potential because cruising is the fastest growing vacation choice in America. This could be because almost everything is included in a cruise vacation package-lodging, food and fun.

CruiseOne is in the process of a major expansion, and they are actively seeking franchisees in all 50 states. CruiseOne's headquarters boasts an extensive support staff that is available to assist franchisees with sales, marketing and booking procedures. CruiseOne also operates a private Web Business Center that allows franchisees to access all the information they need to successfully run their businesses via the Internet.

Many people hear the word "franchise" and automatically think of restaurants and retail outlets, but there are so many more options for today's aspiring business owners. The myriad of choices allows entrepreneurs to find franchises for which they will truly enjoy working-where their personal interests and expertise can be valuable moneymaking tools. If your personal interests include exotic vacations, consider one of the exciting franchise opportunities discussed above or any of the other fantastic travel and cruise franchises now available.