Things to do - Meetings

The Venue:  There are various kinds of meetings and thus a varied requirement for meetings. Some are internal and may require just one big conference room Others are scattered with one big room and then other smaller meeting rooms. Then there are external meetings which may require ore than one room. There is a waiting area requirement in most cases. A hotel can do all of this for you. However, what a hotel is unable to provide is the flexibility of having rooms from a 3-star to a 5-star category, all in the same place. A hotel is unable to reduce your costs on the ancillary tea & coffee services or the meals that will happen with such meetings. A ship is built to handle large sets of people at multiple venues, all at the same time. With the food running round-the-clock, and the venues being close to each other, and that the guests who are not involved with a meeting at any time have hordes of options to keep themselves busy, are just a few things which you need to consider. When the evening comes, it brings along requirements of bonding or smaller meetings and fun requirements for everyone. This is what you will spend most of your time and effort for, not to mention lots of money. There are theaters, casino, DJ decks, lounges, bars, night clubs, and so much more on a ship.  

The overall costs: When a meeting is planned, the costs for the venues and meals are accounted for. What is generally not accounted for, or perhaps only one evening is accounted for, is the post meeting activities. This may include inviting people for a drink or having a sit-down meal together. In most cases, it is seen that venues chosen for such an activity are out of the hotel, which means logistics on traveling, traffic conditions, and money. Unaccounted for expenses are often the norm than an exception for such meetings, where ad-hoc programs are made, basis the general mood and feel, to entertain people on an offsite location. After all, be it internal teams or external guests, they have to be looked after. There are no such hassles on a ship. There are multiple venues, all within walking distance, and most entertainment is included with your ticket to board. All meals are included. It may be cheaper and easier for you to buy notional casino coupons for everyone, than to spend a hefty amount ferrying people to and from various other venues and organizing their meals there.    

Capacity and Capability: A ship is not a hotel, and a ship is not meant for meetings. However, the overall benefits of being on a ship and the versatility of a ship far outweigh the benefits of conducting a meeting on land. First of all, a ship can accommodate any level of guest basis budget. The capabilities of the ship are unmatched when it comes to providing overall benefits like through-the-day meals, anytime dining with multiple and unlimited food, all entertainment venues within walking distance, being adaptable to all age groups, and having something for everyone. If you have a large meeting, hotels are not equipped to handle these, and they often hire temporary staff. A ship, on the other hand, is optimized to handle full capacity to all times.   What a ship provides is unmatched technology. You can plan your entire meeting in the comforts of your own office. We will showcase each venue to you with its designs and dimensions and various seating options. Costs and timings are available and bookable right there and then. No hotel provides any such online ability. You can even use our lounges for casual meetings, if you so desire.   

The activities: While the meeting(s) is the center piece of your entire event, a lot of time and effort goes into planning the before and after of the meeting. In most cases, you will end up choosing venues outside of the hotel or resort and spend money in arranging transportation and logistics. People have to be looked after, whether by means of a drink in the evening or arranging for their dinners on a daily basis. People need to be engaged at all times and kept occupied. No hotel will be able to provide all of this at one place. A ship will provide you with unlimited meals at all times, with no time restrictions, entertainment options like Theaters, DJ Deck, Discotheques, Lounges, Bars, Night Clubs and Spa. You don’t have to plan for anything. Just let people be on their own and let them have fun. Casinos are a big hit with guests coming on board for any such event. Lastly, there are Shore Excursions which can be used as an extension of the meeting plans, or utilized as a bonding and scoping exercise.  

The Food: Meetings can be long, and meetings can be short. Meetings are almost never able to maintain exact times as they are planned for. This is often the flash point between the meeting organizers and the hotels, as the hotels are going by the provided timings and providing the venue and the food as per those timings. Negotiations, begging, and threatening are all included at the last minute to alter these timings. A snack break may not turn out to be as sumptuous as planned when there are delays as the preparations were done according to the original timings. None of this is of any concern on a ship. Food runs through the day and night. Snacks are always fresh and laid out in a variety which will astonish you. People are not bound by timings to have their food. You are not constricted by the pre-booked menus and number of dishes. The food court serves a wide selection of cuisines and a very large variety to choose from. There are no additional charges for any extra food ordered. This is not something you should have to worry about too much, and a ship ensures just that.   

Liquor and other drinks: A drink in the evening, for everyone or a select few, is a norm. In a hotel, you have to book and block menus, as you have purchased a package for everyone. Not on a ship. A ship has the ability to treat a large group of people as individuals. People can be given separate level of alcohol packages, and they can choose from a variety of bars and lounges to redeem their package. The selection of beverages on a ship are as good as any quality hotel. You do not have to worry about people straying off post drinks and not turning up in the morning. No one has to worry about driving back to their accommodation post a drinking session. And if there is a need to shake a leg, the venues are not dictated by local laws and thus do not abide by timings for their opening and closing. You also have a choice of having your drinks on a quiet and tranquil deck overlooking the ocean, or in the night club. You decide and you choose. There are options galore.   

Entertainment: Meetings often bring with them a tiredness with the concentration required in those meetings. People want to let their hair down before and after such meetings. People often want to relax or go dancing, as the mood may be. In some cases, meetings last throughout the day and thus people would want a break from work. IN such cases, stepping out of the hotel is not only expensive and tiring, it also takes away a lot of your time in traveling. The first big difference is that a ship has everything from a quiet poolside bar or an ocean-view open bar, to a dazzling discotheque. You can opt for whatever your choice is, without worrying about transportation, reservations, and travel. The second great difference is that most of the venues are open till the last guest leaves. This is unlike land where there are restrictions by local laws to close by a certain time. The casino is often the hot favorite after such stressful days. You can walk down to the atrium and just sip a quiet coffee if that is what the mood is.  

If there is still a doubt on the benefits of holding a meeting on a ship rather than on land. Consider this. All the venues are within walking distance, and so are your rooms.  Various categories of rooms are available to accommodate all possible guest types. No one must rush from one place to another in a car, minding the traffic conditions and the vehicle availability. A ship will be efficient on all fronts for any event, be it large or small. You can charter the entire ship for your dream event, or just book the limited number of guests that you want to bring on board.   

We have an expert team handling meetings, and you will find that you do not need to look for ancillaries like sound systems, holding rooms, etc. They are already on board the vessel. Our teams are experienced in handling all sorts of Meeting events, and our customized menu-driven option base will allow you to manage everything online in terms of choices and timings. No hidden costs will pop up at the last minute. We hope to see you soon.