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 Newsletter ~ Issue # 20

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September 20, 2009Issue # 20

, here is the To the Pier Newsletter you requested.

Featured Cruise

Parisian Winter Holiday

Round Trip from Paris, 8 Nights

Be dazzled by Paris in all her winter
This new addition to our holiday cruise collection takes you to Paris, Rouen and Les Andelys – the best of Northern France all tied up in a holiday package...

It doesn't get better than this

Our Most Exotic
Uncommon Journey Yet!

Island jewels in the Indian Ocean and along the South African coastline, crowned with an unforgettable safari in Botswana

Imagine combining a visit to exotic island nations of the Indian Ocean with port-hopping down the wildly beautiful South African coast, culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime game safari in Botswana? Having difficulty picturing this? Well, you won't any more. Uncommon Cruises has designed their most exciting Uncommon Journey ever. This exclusive itinerary is going to be experienced by only sixteen very...

Featured Vessel

Small Cruise Ship (Luxury)

Luxurious Sailings & Intimate Destinations

Luxurious sailings, intimate destinations, and incredible service all onboard a floating resort where you aren’t lost in the crowd. Remarkable itineraries beckon you to explore the off-the-beaten-track waterways...

Featured Package

South Pacific Romance

Tahiti

Escape to the romance and beauty of the Society Islands. Feel the passion and legendary hospitality of the locals through music, dance, and flowers. Interact with dolphins in their natural habitat and take in...

Featured Destination

Panama Canal

Linking the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Panama Canal provides one of cruising's most unforgettable experiences. Over 10 years were needed to complete...

Featured Article

Canal Barging in Burgundy

In a medieval castle in the little Burgundian village of Rochepot, there is a 17th-century French-made clock. Its face has only one hand and all it tells is the hour. Period. But what could be more appropriate?

Time is a relative thing...

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From The Editor ...

Hello

Humans versus machines. When booking your vacation, you have a choice. You can go online and book your holiday without ever communicating with a human being. Or you can find a travel agent who is knowledgeable about your intended vacation destination.

The Internet sounds simple and straightforward enough, doesn’t it? The technology has advanced so much that booking engines on travel websites can now handle your entire vacation.

But in a recent study by Massachusetts-based Forrester Research, of those who book travel online, only 46% said they enjoy using the Internet to do so, down from 53% in 2007. As well, only 34% believe travel websites clearly present options and tradeoffs, down from 39% last year. So why are the numbers who use online travel reservations declining?

In my opinion, there are several factors. Confidence for one. Consumers are feeling overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information (and booking choices) online. The more they research, the less confident they are on what is best for them.

Deviation from the norm of the booking is another factor. Few travelers fit the rigid molds that you find with many online reservation systems. You may want what is offered but with one less night’s stay or with a different cabin category than what’s offered. Changes like these cannot be handled by a ‘machine’; it requires human intervention.

And then there are consumers interested in the more unusual or more exotic holiday. Big-box websites like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz may work for those who want popular sun ‘n’ surf vacations or mainstream cruises. But machines can’t dispense advice and expertise on the best months to visit the Galápagos Islands or whether a particular river cruise on the Danube is going to match their needs and style.

So which is better? Humans or machines? If you’re traveling anywhere off the beaten path or considering a non-traditional cruise, you’re playing with fire if you don’t use a travel agent. Our website is filled with helpful information on specialty cruises, but you won’t find a booking engine anywhere. What you will find, though, is expertise, expertise embodied in our very human Specialty Cruise Advisors .

James Felton, Founder
James.Felton@UncommonCruise.Com

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