Cvent

As we continue to engage social media in a multitude of ways, every now and then, we'll share stories designed to help you envision the possibilities and sometimes, even dodge a few challenges.

Today's story: Be All-In and Stay All-In

Once upon a time, in a land far away (actually not so far away, but it sounds enchanting), a highly-respected consulting firm invited their very best customers and partners to an exclusive conference. The theme for this event? Social Media and how best to leverage this new platform to enhance meetings and events.

While that theme may seem commonplace today, when this conference was held, Social Media was still rather shiny and new. The best-practice incubator was just starting to kick into gear. Meeting planners flew in from all corners to attend this conference and engage in some great thought leadership discussions. Sessions were led by an impressive crew of experts and guests were encouraged to dust off (or create) Twitter handles and interact, both with peers attending the conference and with others who were observing from afar.

By all accounts, this gathering was a rousing success, providing a busy audience of planners the opportunity to explore strategies, collaborate with peers, test assumptions, and even begin to calculate Social Media ROI.

Fast forward to today and we can see Pareto's Principle (aka, the 80-20 rule) at work. While we don't have hard-and-fast numbers, from casual observations, we suspect about 20% who attended continue to perfect their social media strategies.

A few key takeaways from today's story:

1. The World is Transparent. 
   If you're going to champion a new concept, understand that all eyes will be watching you. Today's social media tools afford quick measurement of back-channel chatter inspired by your conference.
   
2. Continue the Dialogue Long After Your Conference
   Social Media provides an incredible opportunity to continue the peer-to-peer conversations long after your conference concludes. Alas, in this story, many who were most vocal in tweeting observations during the conference went silent soon after returning to the office. It's understandable, as we're all struggling with varying degrees of time poverty. With proper planning, event hosts can extend the game, sparking meaningful conversations (and valuable connections) for months, if not years after the face-to-face event.  Be "all in" and stay "all in" to deliver best possible value to your attendees.

Want more? Go to Meetingsnet.com to view the Cvent-sponsored webinar, "Event Marketing 2.0: Expert Advice on Using Social Media."  

The tornado devastation in the Southern states once again reminds meeting planners of the importance of emergency preparedness and contingency planning for events.

“As a planner, you are not going to be the person who determines when to evacuate a building, but you need to know how that decision will be made and what your responsibilities are once the decision is made," Julia Rutherford Silvers, author of Risk Management for Meetings and Events told MeetingsNet."That means putting together your emergency action plan and discussing it with the venue.” 

When planning risk mitigation strategies for your event, have you recently reviewed: 

• Contract provisions, including the indemnity clause
• Insurance policies
• Emergency action plan
• Emergency contact sheet
• Media information protocol
• Your team’s emergency training?

MeetingsNet, PCMA and IAEE offer excellent risk management resources, complete with case studies, risk assessment checklists and strategies for protecting your attendees, your company and your job. As always, safety is the first priority.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you've heard about the rising prices at the gas pump. It's hard for me to wrap my head around it. The news says it's because of the issues in Libya and the fear of reduced oil output. (But that country only produces about 3% of our oil.) 

One of the bigger issues about the rise in gas prices is how it influences just about everything else we touch, not only on a daily basis, but on a meeting planning basis, too.

The national news this morning said that prices for everyday goods, like toilet paper, are going up in price between 3-7%. Don't you think that would also impact how the hotels and suppliers do business with meeting planners? It sure does.

Not only will the oil prices make us see airline prices go up (after all, planes need fuel, too), but now we'll see F&B prices and other elements at hotels go up, even for essentials like coffee service.

This will come down to the meeting planners. We often are responsible for the budget and now it will be more of a challenge to get what you need and stay under budget. But don't give up. One, this can't last forever. Secondly, you have the skills and knowledge to work around this challenge. You may already be reducing your driving or using more public transportation. Now how to do the equivalent at work?

At your events, you can still serve coffee, but you may want to ask the hotel to use smaller cups so the coffee lasts longer. You may have to give up or reduce your concessions to stretch your dollar a little further. You might also ask your staff, coworkers and, yes, your boss to make a little sacrifice. Perhaps some coworkers can room together onsite or you can leverage your boss's suite.

The point being, you can still plan a great meeting despite the damage brought on by high gas prices. Anywhere you can save a little money means you can spend it elsewhere, someplace where it positively influences your meeting and those that attend.

How do YOU cope with rising fuel prices?

Pennsylvania Convention Center recently completed its $787-million expansion and is already welcoming groups. The venue now features over 1 million square feet of saleable space, 528,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and at 55,400 square feet, the largest ballroom on the East Coast.

When it comes to client entertaining, eating and drinking often play a key role. Care to make it a bit more interactive? Then consider a corporate group outing to The International Culinary Center, home of The French Culinary Institute and The Italian Culinary Academy, preferably this May when they open the doors on their newly expanded 5th floor event space. The new event space will provide additional state-of-the-art kitchens and other facilities enabling planners to create and to host even more unique, hands-on experiences that kick things up a notch - from the same-old group gathering to a memorable, team-building and camaraderie-enhancing event.

At ICC, planners can tailor events to their client's interests and indulge their Top Chef fantasies (Padma Lakshmi not included) by selecting from the ICC's extensive menu of food-centric activities. On offer are cooking demos with internationally-renowned chefs, hands-on interactive classes with world-class faculty, classic cocktail receptions, group wine tastings and/or private dinners, all presented in the client's choice of flexible loft-like spaces, cutting-edge kitchens, celebrated culinary demonstration spaces, custom wine tasting facilities, and/or ICC's highly rated restaurant, L'Ecole.

Prefer to stay on-site at your conference venue? No problem. The ICC has also just expanded their events and catering division, so now they have the capabilities to bring the ICC event team, chefs and cuisine to off-site venues -- thus saving your group transportation travel time and logistics. 

Have you experienced a little registration hesitation? Many people find themselves juggling more and more responsibilities these days, which may be feeding this reluctance to register early for your conference. Saying YES to your event means saying NO to other things.

Alas, where there are concerns, so too are there opportunities. Here are five ideas to help spark more early registrations:

1. Early Bird Discounts: While the economy shows promising signs, budgets are still under a great deal of scrutiny. Attendees are always looking for ways to get more without spending more. Make this discount meaningful and send reminders early and often. Perhaps it's time for a BOGO (buy one, get one free) offer, too?
   
2. Exclusive VIP Reception: "Register by June 15th and you'll be invited to our exclusive VIP reception, where you'll have a chance to meet..."  There's nothing like an invitation to rub elbows with industry rock stars to drive urgency around registration. Go a step further and hold a drawing where a few lucky winners will get a chance to attend a private dinner, go on a blimp ride, or have a private phone consultation with this industry leader.
   
3. Hotel Perks and Amenities: Room upgrades? Spa discount? Breakfast in bed? Discounts on an extended stay? I'm sure a conversation with your hotel sales rep will uncover all kinds of great ideas. Be sure to negotiate these perks BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.
   
4. Preferred Seating: If there's a big gala reception, why not rope off a section and offer preferred seating to those who register early?  Or maybe you'll award an "EZ-Pass" for preferred seating at all sessions. That means I can slip in at the very last minute and still have one of the best seats in the house.
   
5. Autographed Books, CDs and DVDs: "Register by midnight Friday and we'll ship a signed copy of..."  

While you're at it, make sure you video tape these lucky folks enjoying their well-deserved perks, so you can use these clips next year to encourage even more early registrations!

How do YOU ensure early registrations?

Now there is no need to stand in that super long line for the TKTS booth in Times Square to score discount tickets to the hottest shows. Thanks to Broadway.com/Groups, visitors to New York City can enjoy collective buying power with savings through 2011 on long-standing musicals like Phantom of the Opera and Jersey Boys to newer productions, such as Catch Me If You Can or Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Here’s an exciting preview of what’s to come:

• Everyone’s favorite English nanny is supercalifragilisticexpealidocius in Mary Poppins. Groups of 15 or more can enjoy rear mezzanine and balcony seats starting at $42, mid mezzanine seats for $52 and up and orchestra and front mezzanine seats beginning at $62 for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening performances for August 23 through November 20, 2011paid 30 days prior to the performance date. As an added bonus, consumers will receive one complimentary ticket for the first 20 paid tickets, or three complimentary tickets for 51 tickets purchased (with a maximum of three).
• Fans of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Wednesday and Pugsley can see the creepy clan on the cheap. Tickets for The Addams Family start as low as $52 at select performances from May 10 through October 30, paid in full by May 6, 2011 for groups of 12 or more.
• A happy-go-lucky good time awaits when ABBA is on the playbill. Mamma Mia! Tickets start at $57 for rear mezzanine seats and $75 for orchestra and front mezzanine seats for groups of 15 or more, Monday through Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday matinees throughout 2011.

Need more ideas for your meeting program in New York City? Check out the Cvent Destination Guide.

They say good leaders are those that make good judgment calls. I'd like to think that meeting planners make good natural leaders because we make judgment calls all the time and most of the time they're correct, right?

Judgment calls come in all kinds of disguises. What should I have for lunch? Should I make three right turns or one left turn? Should I go with hotel A or hotel B? Will my Board of Directors prefer a conference table or a hollow square? Regardless, each call you make has a result. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to choose the spaghetti with red sauce when wearing a white blouse with an important meeting after lunch. Well, you get the point.

But judgment calls also say something about us as meeting planners. The better the result from the call, the better the meeting and the better your whole organization looks. With so much riding on our judgments, it's hard not to hesitate or feel a little apprehensive. That's just part of the judgment process, so don't let it hold you back and feel free to get input of others.

Even when we make a bad judgment call, we learn from it and that also makes you a good planner. How you deal with that error in judgment also adds to your arsenal as a good crises manager. What happens when you decide to go with Hotel A over Hotel B and it turns out it was the wrong judgment call? You learn from that error, go into Super Meeting Planner mode and take care of the crises. You've now learned something from that error as well as how to deal with the results of it (the same goes even if the error in judgment wasn't yours!).

It's important never to let fear of judgment hold you back. One way or the other, you'll get something out of it. Opportunities abound and even if the results of that judgment call aren't exactly what you wanted, you'll find a way to make them the best results you can. That's what makes you a good leader.

What do YOU think are the characteristics of good leadership?

With Las Vegas Strip as a backdrop, any event can become a quintessential Vegas experience. Here are some venue options that bridge the gap between the earth and the sky.

Moon at the Palms. Located on the top floor of the Palm’s Fantasy Tower, this boutique venue offers the view of the city and the stars, thanks to its celestial retractable roof. With the Nove Italiano restaurant right below, it’s a perfect place for an after party. Moon can accommodate up to 500 people.

Pure at Caesars Palace. At 40,000 square feet , this nightclub is four venues in one, with several private VIP areas. One of its major assets is a 14,000-square-foot terrace with panoramic views of the city and dedicated Terrace Sunset Grill. 

Veloce Cibo at the M Resort. This event venue on the top floor of M is known for its fusion cuisine and sipping signature cocktails at the sky patio overlooking the Las Vegas valley. The venue can accommodate up to 60 for a private event.

Voodoo Lounge at the Rio. Technically not a roof, this iconic destination on the 51st floor is an indoor-outdoor double-decker nightclub certainly feels like the top of the world.  The club can accommodate up to 1,200 in the lounge and two outside patios. But the real gem is a VIP room a floor below with dedicated balcony space. Voodoo also has its own restaurant that caters the events at the lounge.

Find out more about Las Vegas event venues on Cvent Supplier Network. 

McPier, the governing body that oversees Chicago's McCormick Place convention center selected a private management company, SMG, on Tuesday to run the complex starting July 1. It's not a great surprise, given that SMG operates 90 percent of U.S. public exhibition space and has operated Chicago's Soldier Field since 1994. But it should generate efficiencies and lower costs--no word yet on how much--in part by tapping into SMG's buying power and sales staff.

The decision to privatize had already been made as part of a package the Illinois State Assembly passed last year, and the privatization keeps McCormick, and Chicago, on a track to offer even better value in the years to come.

With all the focus on social media these days, sometimes I wonder if we might be overlooking a few more traditional channels for getting the word out about our events. I'm going to assume you've got your website, blog, email signature lines, and other digital opportunities covered at this point.

Now let's drill down for a few other places where you might turn up the volume on event promotions:

1. Voice Mail Greetings: I'm not advocating a lengthy message here, but a brief statement could remind others to register. "Don't miss our exciting Partners' Summit Sept 20-23 in Orlando." No additional info is necessary. These days, people are smart enough to go to your website or Google for more info.
   
2. Hold Music: For the 90 days leading up to your event, why don't you put that hold music on the side burner and replace it with a few exciting soundbites about your upcoming event. Testimonials from last year's participants? A greeting from your Keynote Speaker?
   
3. Letterhead & Invoices: Think about how many eyes scan through letters and invoices sent by your organization. Often, these people are in your target market. Be brief, but make sure there's some mention of the date and place.
   
4. Vehicle Magnets: Are you taking clients out to lunch? How about a magnet with info about your event on the passenger door? Making a delivery? Stuck in traffic? More opportunities to get the word out. 
   
5. Executive Bios: Will your Executive Director be speaking at your event? How about other executives? Go check with their admins and see if you can add a line to their bios about your upcoming conference. While you're at it, send out a sentence or two about your event to ALL staff and ask if they could add this to their LinkedIn profile.
   
6. Promotional Items: How about sending a dozen promotional coffee mugs to each of your speakers? Chances are good they'll be visiting with others who may be interested in your event. Why not give them a nice gift to take to their clients? You might consider providing free or discount passes, too.

How do YOU promote your events?

Now maybe it's just us, but it seems that NYC, considered by some to be a sister city to London, has caught a case of Royal Wedding fever. In addition to the breakfast viewing events that are popping up at restaurants all over town, down on fashionable Greenwich Avenue, Tea & Sympathy, the city's most authentically British tea shop, is partnering with neighboring restaurant Lyon to host an all-day, street party/blow-out in honor of the Royal Wedding.

So just what will be going on this Friday? Well, if you stop by Tea & Sympathy this week to inquire, chances are just about any one of the British lads behind the counter will likely respond with a smile, then grimace slightly and reply "Madness," which translates roughly to lots of decorative bunting on the buildings, plus Morris dancers in the street, busting out ancient English folk dance moves. There are also rumors of appearances by a "Pearly" King and Queen in traditional pearl-button-encrusted get-ups and perhaps a few bagpipers for good measure. Also on the schedule: a 6 a.m. kick off viewing party at Lyon’s, plus a raffle at Tea & Sympathy for 30 or so very chic gifts from West Village boutiques and a grand prize of round-trip tickets to London for two.

For visitors and locals alike, the Street Party will be a great way take part in the celebration without leaving home, and for planners like me, the day will be a great source of inspiration on how to take a global moment and make it a festive, local, not-to-be-missed event.  

Where will YOU be watching the Royal Wedding?

Today's article in the NY Times - "Hotels Spruce Up Their Executive Lounges"- discusses the recent trend that major hotel brands are re-investing in their executive lounges. This trend is particularly evident in the recent Club Lounge updates at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. Sheraton announced today that they have invested more than $100 million into updating 120 lounges at their hotels worldwide, as a capstone to the brand's $6 billion revitalization efforts. Some of the Sheraton flagship properties that will showcase these updated lounges include the Sheraton TriBeCa in New York City, where the executive lounge features a spectacular view of downtown Manhattan from the outdoor terrace, as well as the Leahi Club Lounge at the Sheraton Waikiki (pictured here), which is situated 30 floors above the beach and accessible via a glass elevator on the mountain-side of the resort.

But why the sudden focus on executive lounges, you might be wondering? As the economy, and subsequently, business travel, bounces back from the recession, road warriors are demanding that hotels keep up with the times and offer the latest in technology and amenities.  While it used to be difficult to conduct business effectively while on location at a meeting or corporate event, now, with the help of executive lounges like those at Sheraton, business travelers can be just as effective on the road as they can at their desk. But, instead of feeling like they're in a corporate office environment, these updated Club Lounges give them the luxury of working in a more intimate, cozy setting, as if it were their own home. Some of the upgraded Club amenities at Sheraton include complimentary breakfast, afternoon hors d’oeuvres, beverage service, flat-screen television, Wi-Fi, and a selection of daily newspapers. I don't know about you, but I would definitely prefer that to working in my own home!

Sheraton's Global Brand Leader, Harper Hoyt, reiterated these trends in the Sheraton press release today, stating, "At a time when our competitors have scaled back their offerings, Sheraton has done the opposite. We decided to invest even further in our global portfolio with significant enhancements to our Club Lounges in order to deliver a higher level of productivity and luxury to our guests, not just on weekdays, but every day of the week. And our timing couldn’t be better. Travel has returned to pre-crisis levels and travelers are once again focused on upgraded amenities and services as key elements of the guest experience."

Surely, your corporate meeting attendees and business travelers will thank you dearly for putting them up in these recently updated hotel lounges. Book your next event at a Sheraton property on the Cvent Supplier Network by sending a request for a quote today!

Not long ago I read an article that claimed it was harder to lose weight when traveling as opposed to when you're at home. Um, duh!

For us meeting planners who travel often, we know the challenges of staying fit or keeping to a diet when on site AND trying to manage a meeting. There are too many cliches to use, but it's like trying to squeeze water from a rock or change lead into gold. It's pretty tough.

There are a lot of things planners do to counter this uphill battle. I've gotten to the point where I no longer take workout clothes with me when I travel, especially for short trips. I know I will not get up an hour earlier (like at 4 or 5 AM) to go to the hotel fitness center or to run around the sidewalks of downtown.

Science and medicine tell us that our bodies create chemicals when we're under stress and those chemicals make it nearly impossible for us to lose weight. And meeting planners are often under lots of stress when traveling or on site. To me it doesn't make sense to be more stressed by adding the issue of weight loss or diet. We have enough on our plates, right?

So though I may not strive to exercise when traveling, I still try to watch what I eat (even if I'm watching it go from the serving tray to my mouth!). There's no magic trick to losing weight. No South Beach or trendy plan does anything new or special. There's still only one true way to lose weight: reduce your calorie intake and increase your exercise. Period. It may be hard to increase exercise when on site, but watching your calories isn't as hard.

In the end, when you're traveling or on site, it's still a challenge to exercise and eat right. So don't worry about it. Eat a little less and try to get minimal physical activity, like yoga in your guest room or a flight of stairs over the elevator. The important thing is not to freak out about it, thereby creating more stress. The best thing you can do is hop back on that diet wagon once you get home and back to your routine.

How do YOU maintain a good weight while on the road?

Last September, the Ryder Cup matches at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, captivated the golf universe with their intense drama on the greens and fairways of the Twenty Ten Course.

Not surprisingly, golfers who saw the matches on television around the world now have a strong desire to play the course that tested the best players from Europe and the U.S.

Located two hours from London, Celtic Manor Resort, with three 18-hole championship courses, is also considered one of Europe’s top venues for meetings, incentives and corporate golf outings.

Set on 1,400 acres of scenic, rolling, wooded parkland, the 330-room resort (with 32 suites) offers a 14,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall, 31 meeting rooms, meal function capability for up to 800, a rooftop garden terrace for outdoor events, and a 70-room, 19th-century Manor House hotel.

For incentive groups, spouse entertainment options include on-site boutique shopping, The Forum Spa and Ocius Treatment Rooms, hiking trails, tennis courts and six restaurants. The golf menu encompasses the Twenty Ten, which was specifically designed to host The Ryder Cup; The Montgomerie, designed by European Tour golf icon and Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie; and the Roman Road, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design.

Send a request for proposal (RFP) to Celtic Manor Resort on the Cvent Supplier Network.

Spain has a renewed urban sanctuary that is no doubt making outdoor enthusiasts happy. Stretching from El Pardo in the northeast to Getafe in the south, Madrid Rio offers locals and out-of-towners a place to play complete with a “beach”: 33 recreation areas for sports, scenic walkways to seven different districts in the city, esplanades for cultural events, among other highlights. A crowd of thousands came out to explore the new parts of the serene space during the official opening earlier this month.

Other key facilities and features include Arganzuela and Matadero parks, the Manzanares interpretation center, numerous bridges—San Vicente, Huerta de la Partida, the Segovia and Arganzuela, a cycling route, rock climbing center, the Salon de Pinos promenade and the Aniceto Marinas Gardens.

Visitors who need help getting around can pick up a detailed map available in Spanish, English French and German from the Madrid Tourist Board’s information centers and from the visitor center located near the Puente del Rey Bridge.

Learn more about Madrid in the Cvent Destination Guide.

Live Q&A. No matter how dazzling the conference speaker, when you open the floor to questions, attendees lean forward a bit. After all, people say the darnedest things, especially when they're holding a microphone. 

Just as we watch the Superbowl halftime show, waiting for something wacky to happen, so too do we watch live Q&A sessions, waiting for someone to say or do something over the top.

The only thing worse than an edgy, and even controversial Q&A session?  Crickets chirping and no questions at all.

Here are six tips to inspire smooth, yet captivating Q&A sessions:

1. Set Expectations from the Start: Before you introduce speakers, let the audience know that there will be time at the end of this session for Q&A. Encourage attendees to jot down questions during the presentation.
   
2. Ground Rules: Before you open the floor to Q&A, it's helpful to set a few ground rules. For example: Wait for the microphone before asking your question. No self-promoting preludes. Introduce yourself (by name & organization) and then get straight to the question. Be brief, be brilliant, and be gone, so others can have a chance to ask questions.
   
3. Budget Your Time: Sometimes speakers run over their allotted time and Q&A becomes either a rushed afterthought or it doesn't happen at all. Give your speakers a firm stopping point, after which, you'll open the floor to Q&A.
   
4. Prime the Pump: Many people wait for that first question to be posed before jumping into the mix. It helps to enlist a few brave souls in advance, armed with a questions to get this party started.
   
5. Include the Virtual Back channel: If you have virtual attendees, give them an opportunity to pose questions, too. You can either run a live Twitter feed on stage or if you feel the need to filter questions in advance, assign someone to monitor the feed and select a sampling of questions to pose on their behalf.
   
6. Parking Lot: Let's face it. Some folks go off topic or they ask tough questions that might require additional research. Establish a "parking lot" for these questions and let your audience know that you'll post answers to these questions online at a later time.

Keeping your event connected is becoming more and more of a challenge, with just about every attendee bringing a smart phone and checking email. How about the trade shows where exhibitors and presenters rely on the Wi-Fi to collect leads and deliver presentations? Is asking your attendees to turn off their smartphones during keynotes really an option? Just listen to what happened to Google and Apple during their recent events.

Even when the devices are not using the network, they still emit signals that create background noise and can effectively block the online access. Ensuring all of these devices have a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection requires a robust network and sufficient bandwidth that can support hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously, says Mark Haley, president of Smart City Networks. Here some tips on how to stay connected:

1.Get an early start. Coordinating with the facility’s technology provider 3-6 months in advance of the event allows the technology provider enough time to develop a plan that meets the specific technology needs of your event.

2. Know the venue’s capabilities. This includes not just the network setup and the amount of bandwidth available, but also the buildings construction, which can affect the signal strength.

3.Identify required Wi-Fi locations. Planning a free Internet lounge? Knowing time and location will help figure out the right bandwidth .

4. Consider wired Internet for mission-critical tasks. Wi-Fi is convenient but not always as reliable as a wired solution. For presentations, product launches, videoconferencing, a wired solution that is stable and dependable may be just worth it.

5. Give exhibitors options. Will they be streaming video from another site and need dedicated Ethernet? Do they need a virtual private network (VPN) access for their corporate computers?

For more helpful tips on meeting and event planning go to Cvent Resources.

May 2 - 4: Accessories Circuit at The Piers
May 4 - 5: The Accessories Show at Javits Convention Center
May 4 - 5: Moda Manhattan at Javits Convention Center
May 14 - 17: International Contemporary Furniture Fair at Javits Convention Center

Disney is making incentive planning a bit more logistics friendly with the recent announcement that it will set sail from three new ports in 2012, New York, Galveston, Texas and Seattle.

Starting May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York, including eight-night cruises to the Bahamas, five-night cruises up the New England coast to Canada, and two-night weekend cruises.

Beginning September 22, 2010, the Disney Magic will sail 12 seven-night cruises from the Port of Galveston (about a one hour drive from Houston) to the Western Caribbean highlighted by stops in Grand Cayman and Mexico’s Costa Maya and Cozumel.

Seattle sailings on the Disney Wonder start on May 28, 2012 with a total of 14 seven-night cruises from the Port of Seattle to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia.

The Disney Wonder will continue to sail from the Port of Los Angeles to ports on the Pacific Coast, Mexico and Hawaii and The Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream will continue to sail a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, about a 45-minute drive from Orlando. Until she is repositioned to New York, the Disney Magic will sail out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.