SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 21, 2005–
Online Cruise Industry Leader Continues to Innovate with New Site
Features That Enhance One-Stop Cruise Shopping for Consumers with
Robust Destination Information, Smart Search Technology, New Shopping
Tools and More
Travelocity(R), the first in online cruise shopping and booking,
further solidifies its position as an industry leader with the launch
of a newly designed shopping path and exclusive search tools that
provide consumers with all the cruise information they need to plan
their ultimate cruise vacation. To cater to the growing cruise market,
the company’s shopping path makeover includes enhanced search
technology, expanded interactive sailing calendars and even more
images and content to help travelers pinpoint their dream cruise.
Taking into consideration direct input from travelers as well as
Travelocity’s expansive industry knowledge, the comprehensive new
cruise path was designed to offer a faster, simpler shopping and
booking experience. Among Travelocity’s new, industry-leading tools
are interactive sailing calendars that allow customers to easily find
relevant search results for their desired trip, whether searching by
cruise line, ship, date, destination or any combination — it’s the
only site to offer this variety of seamless clickable search methods.
Consumers also will find broader sort options to help them truly
customize their search results, as well as easier access to
Intelli-Deck(R) roll-over technology features that let customers tour
the ships without ever setting sail. Plus, all the information they’ll
ever need is at their fingertips — without losing sight of the ideal
cruise they originally selected.
“In addition to offering the best available rates through our
Low-Price Cruise Guarantee, with no additional service fees, we’re
providing customers with the most complete and easy-to-use cruise
shopping experience in the industry,” said Bryan Saltzburg, vice
president of cruises and packaging at Travelocity. “Our latest
enhancements continue to make Travelocity’s cruise product truly
best-in-class with richer cruise content and information to make
shopping more fun and convenient than ever before.”
Additional details on Travelocity’s new redesign as well as
functionalities that make the shopping and booking process easier and
more relevant than ever before include:
Enhanced Search -- Smart Search: Travelers can simply select a destination and Travelocity will filter the remainder of their search choice options, leaving them with the most pertinent results for their desired trip. -- Nearby Port Search: New logic has been integrated that allows customers to see results for multiple departure ports, giving flexible travelers the best value based on location. -- More Sorting Options: With more than 7,800 departure dates and 1,388 itineraries available, Travelocity has added new sorting options that let customers sort by ship rating and length of cruise in addition to price, departure date and cruise line. -- Upfront Display of Meta-Category Stateroom Pricing: A new display offers rates for interior, ocean view, balcony and suite staterooms upfront in search results and throughout the shopping experience. Integrated Content -- Expansive Ship Information: Travelers will find nearly 13,000 images, including panoramic 360 degree virtual tours, stateroom floor plans and helpful ship highlights in addition to fellow traveler reviews and expert third party reviews. -- Ship Finder: All ships are showcased in one location giving customers easy access to ship details, reviews, deck plans and images. Ship Finder helps customers pinpoint their ideal ship based on their own preferences. -- Sophisticated Destination Shopping Tools: Whether customers know where they want to go or need a little help deciding, Travelocity's clickable world map, and completely interactive destination sailing calendars have just made it that much easier. Add to that easy access to top destination information and pre-defined search results along with hundreds of detailed port descriptions, and they have all the tools they need to select the perfect trip. -- "Know Before You Go": Offers concise, inside advice for travelers, including the best time of year to go to a particular destination, what to do while there and can't-miss attractions.
In addition to the site’s enhanced functionalities, travelers can
still find the same cutting-edge tools and services on Travelocity
that they’ve come to expect, including:
-- Intelli-Deck(R): All deck plan pages automatically display every image -- staterooms and public rooms -- associated to each deck. Travelocity's Intelli-Deck technology enables customers to tour the entire ship online before they book. By simply rolling over the decks, pop-ups appear. Customers can then click to view larger images, descriptions and stateroom floor plans. -- Low-Price Cruise Guarantee: Travelocity will match the price or process a refund to any customer who sees a lower price advertised within 48 hours of booking a Travelocity cruise. Also, travelers automatically enjoy a price advantage on Travelocity because they won't find any service fees. Plus, most deposits are risk-free and completely refundable. More information on the Low-Price Cruise Guarantee, including terms and conditions, is available from the cruise tab on the Travelocity homepage. -- TotalCruise: An industry-first offering that allows customers to simultaneously book their airline reservations and cruise vacation packages in one transaction online. Available through one easy booking path, there is no need to complete two separate transactions -- plus travelers get to choose their airline and flight schedule while accruing frequent flier miles. -- 24/7 Customer Support: Travelers can call Travelocity's cruise experts at 1-877-815-5446 any day, any time. About Travelocity
Travelocity’s industry-leading technology and straight-talking,
honest information help travelers take more rewarding and affordable
trips. With millions of registered users and booking $4.9 billion of
travel in 2004, Travelocity(R) negotiates thousands of low-priced
deals with the world’s most reputable travel providers — top
airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, and other
destination attractions and services. Additionally, Travelocity offers
deeply-discounted rates for weekend getaways and dynamic packages
through its Last Minute Deals and TotalTrip(SM) shopping engines, and
provides customer service support over the phone 24 hours a day. Based
in Southlake, Texas, Travelocity also operates Travelocity
Business(SM) for corporate customers, powers international travel Web
sites in eight languages, and has been recognized for its consumer
advocacy and global leadership in online travel. More information
about Travelocity is available at www.travelocity.com. Travelocity is
owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG), a world leader in
travel commerce. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at
www.sabre-holdings.com.
CONTACT: Vollmer Public Relations Andrea Collins, 212-551-3528 andrea@vollmerpr.com or Chintan Talati, 972-488-4790 chintan@vollmerpr.com SOURCE: Travelocity