For those customers who have signed up to attend our 25th Anniversary Users Conference — a Holland America cruise to Alaska — you’ll want to read this!
First of all… we’re so excited! We can’t wait to experience the majesty of Alaska with you all. The training, networking, scenery, and experiences are bound to be amazing.
We’re heavy into the planning, so more information will be coming. But here are a few tips & FYI’s we wanted to share with you right now, as you prepare for this adventure.
Welcome Reception - We set sail at 4 pm, August 16. Please plan to join us for a welcome meet-and-greet reception from 5:30 to 6:30 pm that evening. It will be at the Billboard Online club on Deck 2. We’ll share more details as it gets closer.
Dining Together - Like most cruise ships nowadays, the Konigsdam offers a handful of restaurants and dining options included with the cruise fare, and then there are also several “specialty” restaurants that are extra. We will have an area of the main dining room set aside each evening at 7:30 pm for our QFloors group. But of course you are welcome to eat on your own, at a different place or a different time, if you wish.
Excursions - I hear that many of the ship’s excursions are already booked up. These excursions are, of course, completely optional, and would come at an additional cost. We looked into doing a QFloors group excursion, but due to size and activity limitations, we ultimately decided it would be better to just let everyone follow their own heart on port days. But because the options are filling up quickly, I’d suggest you not wait, and if you have your heart set on a particular activity, jump on it! To find the ship sponsored excursions, go to the itinerary page here, and for each day, click on the links that say “Discover More” and then scroll for the various options. You can check out the ship offerings, and then, if they are indeed booked up or not what you want, try independent options like viator.com and tripadvisor.com. But please note that you can also just enjoy each port on your own without paying for an offical “excursion”.
Training Classes - We will be holding both general and breakout training sessions, during times the ship is at sea. We’re in the process of nailing the agenda down right now. We plan to have a useful mix of roundtable discussions, technology and business training, and QPro training. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon.
Cruising in August - Supposedly August is a great time to cruise Alaska. Travelers report abundant wildlife sightings, particularly whales and bears. It is also during the Salmon Run, for fishermen. There’s even a possibility of seeing the Northern lights! We’re advised that we should plan to pack for all types of weather. People also suggest bringing binoculars for wildlife viewing.
Glacier Bay - During one of our cruise days, we’ll be traveling in Glacier Bay National Park, with rangers on board to give commentary. Did you know that only two cruise ships per day can enter this protected wilderness? And two cruise lines - Holland America and Princess - who have been operating in Alaska the longest, make up the majority of ships allowed to sail Glacier Bay. So we’re fortunate to be able to experience it. This article had a great description of what to expect from a day sailing Glacier Bay.
Watch for our emails! We’ll be sending more information, via email, as the cruise gets closer. Please make sure you (or whoever the main contact person for the conference is), check your emails regularly. In the meantime, if you have any travel related questions, contact Jamie Valdez at 801-319-9575 or jamievldz@yahoo.com. If you have conference related questions, contact Chris Ogden at chris@qprosoftware.com.
