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| By Natasha Clark Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Fifteen years later and the Cruise Store is still offering personalized service when it comes to booking the hottest cruise destinations in the world. Celebrating their 15th anniversary, the business has received national recognition for its outstanding service, but how many residents realize it's right here in East Longmeadow? CEO of Sea-buys Travel Services Donald J. Anderson posed this question while talking to Reminder Publications about the expansion of the travel industry to the Internet, the elaborate design of new cruise ships, and keeping his clients in mind during the transitions. "Back in the pre-Sept. 11 days, there were seven travel agencies [around here]. Now there is one," Anderson said. Changing with the times Cruises are more popular than ever. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, during the second quarter of 2006, occupancy rates on North American cruises rose to 112 percent, the highest second quarter occupancy over the last four years. (A double stateroom with two passengers is considered 100 percent occupied. Since many double staterooms can accommodate three or four people, occupancy can be more than 100 percent.) As the Internet continually makes things easier for the pursuit of information, travel is yet another industry that is conforming to the age of people wanting things to be just a mouse click away. Anderson said The Cruise Store has branched out into the online world, providing newsletters, last minute cruises and instant pricing and availability, and discount information for men and women in the U.S. military service on its web site www.cruisestore.com. Even though his walls are decorated with awards and placques he still wants to cater to his hometown just as much. He explained that while The Cruise Store is popular nationally, many local residents don't even know their Maple Street location exists. He said part of that is due to the fact that no signage is allowed on Maple Street. "People don't realize that we're in their backyard," Anderson said. His employees are experienced cruisers themselves. He alone has been on 85 cruises. "You pick the ship and chances are someone here has been on it," he said. And the ships to choose from are spectacular. These days ships are equipped with shopping malls, basketball courts, surfing, bowling, and much more constantly shifting to appeal to broader age groups and various interests. He said sometimes if people book cruises without being informed, they find out the "ship's not what they were expecting." He said some ships cater to an older cruiser, some younger, and some median-age cruisers. Anderson also said The Cruise Store takes weather, seasonal temperatures, age, and interests into consideration when booking cruises. Honest, unbias, information Imagine this: Brenda and Charles want to book a cruise to the Caribbean for their 10th wedding anniversary. Brenda, the computer whiz of the duo, jumps online, types her key words into a search engine, and clicks on the page with the best sounding package. The problem? Anderson said a lot of these sites charge online booking fees and you can't be certain that you are getting the best price offered. At a nearby computer, Anderson types mock specs into his system and turns the computer monitor around so this reporter can see the screen. In less than a second a list of prices run down the screen all various substantial savings for the same package something the client doesn't normally get to see. "This is what the public doesn't see," Anderson explained. "Prices can be different. We do the work for the same exact cruise." He added that up to the departure date, The Cruise Store still checks to see if there can be additional savings for the client. He said there have been instances where customers have saved over $1,000 because "we checked later and found another special." "People want honest, unbiased information," Anderson added. About The Cruise Store Open since 1991, The Cruise Store is a division of Sea-buys Travel Services, LTD. It has been at its 55 Maple Street location in East Longmeadow since 1997. Don Anderson has been a practicing attorney for over 22 years and is the CEO of Sea-Buys Travel Services, the parent company of The Cruise Store. His wife, Maureen, is the president of the Cruise Store. For more information call 413-525-9001 or 1-800-SEA-BUYS, drop in at 55 Maple Street, East Longmeadow, visit www.cruisestore.com. |