How many Seatrade events have you attended over the years?
We started attending Seatrade in the early 1990s, and one, the other or both of us have attended almost every year since. We find it one of the most valuable travel industry conferences in any year and our best source of cruise industry information for the wide-ranging subject matter we cover.
Tell us your feelings about the event returning to Miami?
The buzz in Miami can’t be beat. We’re excited about being in the new convention center, and Miami Beach has great restaurants and hotels right nearby.
What do you look forward to most about Seatrade Cruise Global?
We never miss the State of the Industry panel—we get to hear each executive’s vision for the cruise lines they represent in their own words. The content sessions provide a wealth of accurate background information for our cruise coverage.
What are some of the takeaways from past experiences?
Having the opportunity to do one-on-one interviews with top industry executives and being able to preview what’s ahead for the major cruise lines – sometimes even seeing mockups of staterooms of yet-to-be-launched ships.
Exploring the U.S. by cruise ship and riverboat has really taken off over the last couple years. Your thoughts on this trend?
U.S. riverboating is exploding with good reason. These voyages offer insight into the country’s history, showcase its beautiful scenery and reveal the resourcefulness, creativity, and sincerity of the people in America’s heartland. We’ll never forget going through locks at a small Ohio River town at night. We saw the headlights of cars coming to the river from miles around with people getting out to watch our paddle-wheeler go through the locks with its calliope playing.
There is a panel on river cruising at Seatrade this year and two lines are breaking news in press conferences. What do you hope to learn about in 2019?
We’re excited about the arrival of modern, European-style riverboating in the U.S. and hope to learn more about the new vessels. These ships should nicely complement the paddlewheel experience that’s already so popular on America’s rivers. The new riverboats of modern design will add another dimension to the experience.
Any tips/suggestions for attendees going to Seatrade for the first time?
Get to know the press room and make it your home base. Study the program and attend some of the small panels—you’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn. At one panel, we gained useful technical information about Wi-Fi at sea; at another, we got an in-depth look at what cruise lines do to ensure safety at sea. Don’t neglect the exhibit hall—you’ll learn about new technologies and innovations. The wealth of resources at Seatrade will be extremely useful in your future cruise industry coverage.
