Travel Week Bulletin - November 30, 1995 Honeymoon On Dry Land the Exception for Cruise - Crazy Agency Qwner Bruce Parkinson When she got married recently, Mary Jean Trankina - now Mary Jean Tully, decided on a land vacation. For the owner of The Cruise Professionals, the largest cruise-only travel agency in Canada, this decision might be surprising. But she has a good excuse. "As soon as I'm on the ship I start working, checking everything out. I didn't think that was a good way to start a marriage." So how was holiday life on land? "Well, Maui was beautiful, but I couldn't believe the cost of everything. It just reiterated to me how much value cruising represents. It's the best dollar-value, hands-down, of any vacation." Successful people usually love what they do, and Tully is no different. She estimates she's been on more than 160 cruises, and says she still gets excited when striding on board. She's channelled that love into a thriving agency with a staff of 16 that opens seven days a week during the busy season. Twice a year, she draws up to 1,000 consumers, mostly past clients, to shows that highlight new product from various cruise lines. Trankina says her secret to success is no different than that in any business - knowledge and hard work. But she says there can be a disturbing lack of knowledge among some agencies that call themselves cruise specialists. "A lot of clients say to me, "You're the first agency we've spoken to that knows more than we do." Trankina started her career as a travel agent in Chicago, then worked as a district sales manager for Norwegian Cruise Lines in that city. While dating someone in Toronto, she looked at the cruise market here and saw an opening. "I felt Canadians were not being passed on the deals that cruise lines were offering. I felt they were being taken advantage of by tour operators who were not passing on deals. There's no need for a middleman." The Cruise Professionals is the only Canadian agency in Cunard's 'Platinum Inner Circle.' It's a member of Holland America's Centurion club, which honours top-sellers. "With some cruise lines we're second or third in North America in agency sales. That's pretty amazing even to me." Trankina's staff, some of whom have been there since day one, also cruise frequently, and often develop warm relationships with the clients, helping nurture the strong repeat and referral business that The Cruise Professionals enjoys. So how many Cruise Professionals clients were booked on Regency Cruises, which went out of business a few weeks ago? "None. I saw the writing on the wall with them. That's the importance of knowledge and connections. You hear about things before they happen, and your clients get the benefit."   Back         Top of Page

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