Princess Cruises will start its opening Connect with Princess Virtual conference next week with a week long meeting schedule for travel agents.

The event will be led by John Chernesky, Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Marketing for North America, and will feature 14 sessions May 3-7, covering topics such as upselling tips and newcomers. Sales groups and deep dives with princess-specific technology. Admission is free.

Jan Swartz

Guests include Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners, and Brad Tolkin, CEO of World Travel Holdings, as well as a variety of Princess executives and members of the sales team. President Jan Swartz will begin day one with a discussion of the critical role that travel agents play in the cruise and get back on their feet.

“This is unique to us and we think unique to the industry,” said Chernesky of the conference, adding that he and other Princess executives would normally attend various consortia, hosting agencies and other travel consultant conferences throughout the year. “We thought instead of going to them, we’d bring them to us. Let’s find a way to connect with as many frontline advisors as possible.”

Chernesky said that unlike the usual hour-long webinars he hosted last year, the conference is an “intensive training opportunity” for travel agents to either reconnect with Princess or to reconnect for the first time.

“We’re doing some deep dives on a number of topics,” he said, including how to sell Princess, what makes its Polar reservation systems unique, and an explanation of its MedallionClass marine technology, “which we believe is a game changer.”

Travel advisors can register with the Princess Sales Support Site.