OSSN's Seminar at Sea
by John Grygalonis

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A total of 7 agents with guests participated in these training sessions. The level of experience varied from the seasoned agent to the just getting started. These are really fun sessions because everyone benefits from the exchange of information. After attending one of these training FAMs, you get pumped up to get back home and really do some selling. Networking sessions were held for those who wanted to benefit from the knowledge of experienced travel consultants. A lot of information is exchanged, and everyone gains from this. These sessions are a big hit for the members.

What I find out from doing these seminars is that, sometimes, the OSSN members haven’t researched what the OSSN Web site has to offer. This is why we cover the Web site top to bottom, and the members leave with a greater knowledge of what the site has to offer. This is a perfect environment for everyone to learn, especially when the seminars are done on sea days. They are usually held in the morning, and that leaves plenty of time for the sun worshipers to get their rays.

We started our 10-night journey in San Juan sailing to Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao, Aruba, and then back to San Juan. This was a great itinerary, since the sea days were spread out and we had time to explore these islands.

I must mention that dinner every night with our group was an unforgettable experience. On most nights, we were the last group to leave the dining room because we were having so much fun. The waiters would all come over and show us tricks and how to fold napkins and tell us jokes. We even had our table waiter offer to make us a special Indian meal. We had this meal in addition to the menu during the last 5 nights of our cruise. Now I must say that this was very authentic and the taste was exceptional. We had such a good time we didn’t want to say good bye to our new friends.

I believe Celebrity Cruises is doing the right thing when it comes to training and showing off to agents how well they manage the "Starring You Program." From the captain to the cabin steward, everyone is friendly, happy, and always greeting you with a smile and a hello. The service is always a step above with Celebrity.

If you haven’t attended an OSSN FAM, then what are you waiting for?

John Grygalonis, MCC, serves as director of the OSSN Richmond/Norfolk Area Chapter in Va. He may be reached via his listing on http://www.ossn.com/chapters.asp.

(Credits: John Grygalonis)