Recap: Celebrity Cruises Corporate & Incentive Advisory Board -2018

All good relationships require a little faith and hard work. In 1990 my father Chris Lambert made a bet on a brand new cruise line. They offered him some cabins on their new ship, Horizon, sailing in the Caribbean out of Miami. The catch here was he needed to put up some big deposits to secure his position. Like most entrepreneurs, he had a choice, a risky one at that—put up or shut up. Or as my dad would say, “Work like everything depends on you. Pray like everything depends on God.” So he took out a second mortgage on our family home, paid the deposit, and sold his way out of the hole he had dug. He came out on top with a nifty profit and the beginnings of our company, Destinations, Inc. Without Celebrity Cruises delivering on the promise of quality and luxury, the guest experience would have suffered and Chris’s clients would have gone elsewhere for future travel. That leap of faith was the beginning of a beautiful partnership between our company and this fantastic cruise line. 

Because of this family legacy and our track record in the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions—quite possibly the worst acronym in the history of acronyms), we were invited to be a part of Celebrity Cruises 2018 Corporate & Incentive Advisory Board, held in Miami and for 3 days aboard Celebrity Equinox. This meeting included a top-secret tour of RCCL’s Innovation Lab where we were shown some of the latest innovations surrounding Celebrity’s newest ship, Celebrity Edge, due for delivery in the Fall of 2018.

At the Innovation Lab we were able to walk through a full-scale rendering of Celebrity Edge’s “Infinity Balcony,” a revolutionary design that offers so much more space than any other in the industry.

Probably the highlight of our time there was a lunch with Celebrity President and diehard New England Patriots fan, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. It was great to see Lisa’s interaction with the ship’s crew and the way she treats everyone. She is so genuine and kind, and she shared the circumstances that led up to naming Malala Yousafzai as Godmother of Celebrity Edge. "Partnering with Malala Fund was a natural fit as we share the same passion and commitment to an incredible cause. We believe in opportunities for all, especially as our crew onboard represent more than 50 different cultures—and amazing stories of achievement, education and economic advancement,” Lutoff-Perlo stated.

While onboard Celebrity Equinox, we engaged in meaningful discussions about the state of the industry and how to innovate and create more engaging, WOW experiences for cruise guests. The Celebrity team created a culinary experience for us with renowned chef Michelle Bernstein. We toured Nassau with her, visiting a local market to buy provisions for that evening’s dinner. Our meal later on was a delectable feast, with each course being personally delivered to our table by Michelle. Just one more way Celebrity shows by example how to treat guests right. 

All these years later, Celebrity Cruises remains a safe bet for incentive travel success. They innovate, they desire to learn, grow, and improve, and they are led by wonderful people who really care about the ultimate goal: The Guest Experience. It’s been a Win/Win relationship since 1990, and we look forward to continuing this relationship well into the future.