SECOND EDITION OF ‘SELLING THE SEA: AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CRUISE INDUSTRY’ NOW AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES NATIONALLY
Updated Version Offers Valuable Insight Into Constantly Evolving Industry
MIAMI (June 4, 2007) – With the many dramatic changes within the cruise industry over the past decade, Carnival Cruise Lines President and CEO Bob Dickinson and Florida International University Associate Professor Emeritus of Marketing and Management Andy Vladimir have co-authored a second edition of their book, “Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry.”
The updated Selling the Sea expands upon the original version published in 1996 and features insightful comments from top cruise industry executives to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the various marketing, product and operational developments that have taken place over the past decade.
Also highlighted within the 340-page publication are such areas as advancements in ship construction, the growth of niche, specialty and luxury operators, and the dramatic expansion in homeport and port-of-call choices.
“When Andy and I wrote ‘Selling the Sea’ 11 years ago, Carnival Destiny was just being introduced as the world’s first 100,000-plus-ton cruise ship and the cruise industry carried 4.4 million passengers annually,” said Dickinson. “Now, with 100,000-ton cruise ships the norm – offering amenities and facilities like never before – and cruise passenger counts exceeding 10 million, it’s only appropriate that we update our book to examine the dramatic evolution of this fascinating industry,” he added.
The second edition of Selling the Sea is divided into 10 chapters, each focusing on a different facet of the cruise industry, from its rich and colorful history dating back to the mid-1800s to the creation of today’s modern cruise industry and its increasing prominence within the overall leisure travel market.
Particular attention is paid to the growth and reach of the Internet – which was just evolving when the first edition of “Selling the Sea” was published 10 years ago – and its wide-ranging impact on both the cruise industry and the travel agent community.
With the authors’ extensive experience in cruise industry marketing, strong emphasis is placed on product differentiation among the nearly two dozen cruise lines that operate in North America, as well as the management organizations and styles within those various brands.
The evolving role of the travel agent in the cruise-selling process is also explored as Dickinson and Vladimir offer their keen insight into the strategies that travel agents must undertake to remain competitive in today’s constantly changing business landscape.
Published by J. Wiley & Sons, “Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry” is available in bookstores nationally, as well as through various on-line retailers. The cost is $40.
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Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is a proud member of the exclusive World’s Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and The Yachts of Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together, we offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations.