The Friday before Halloween The Cruise Web held their annual Halloween Potluck as a fun way to say “Good Bye” to October and relax on a Friday afternoon. This year’s spread proved to be one of the best ones ever.

Anchored by Raquel’s now famous cheesecake squares and Jen’s pulled pork, there was a plethora of new dishes to sample. Ron brought in his crock pot filled with Italian sausage, peppers and onions in a red sauce. Gloria brought in her chili, and Tina brought in gigantic cupcakes.

But that’s not all. Rashell brought in wings, Adam quenched everyone’s thirst with soda, Susan brought in her 7-Layer Cookies and Heather brought in bags of chips to complement the main courses.

Of course, with the holiday season upon us, it’s only right that we share some of these delicious recipes with you. So here is Raquel’s now famous Cheesecake Squares and Susan’s “Magic Cookie Bars”:

Crescent Roll Cheesecake Squares
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 egg yolk (separate egg and save white for later)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar
1 egg white
1/2 c. sugar plus 1 tsp. Cinnamon

Instructions
PAT one package crescent rolls on bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Pinch seams together.
COMBINE the cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla and 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth.
SPREAD over crescent roll layer.
SPREAD 1 package crescent rolls over cheese layer and pinch seams together.
BEAT egg white until foamy and brush on cake.
SPRINKLE 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon until the top is mostly covered.
BAKE at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.

7-Layer Cookies
1 1/2 cupa graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of butterscotch chips
1 cup of coconut
1 can sweetend condensed milk

Instructions
MELT butter in 13 x9 baking dish.
SPRINKLE graham cracker crumbs over butter. Press with spoon.
LAYER walnuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over crumbs in that order.
POUR condensed milk evenly over dish.  Hint: Will pour smoother if  can is heated in warm water.
BAKE at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
LET cool before cutting into squares or bars.

A compilation provided by our employees and “Current” readers

“For my birthday last year my mom sent me bark.  Not really sure why.  She said it made her think of me.  I don’t remember if it was special bark in some way ( I know it wasn’t petrified), but I do remember that it was, in fact, bark.”
- Danielle T., Senior Operations Coordinator

“For my wedding last summer, someone gave me a Santa Claus christmas tree topper.  It’s huge, it has white fluff all over it, and is currently in a closet next to my water heater. ”
- Mike H., Sales Manager

Do you have something worse?

 
This month Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International and The Yachts of Seabourn each took delivery of the newest addition to their fleet of ships. Carnival received its largest ship yet, the 130,000 ton Carnival Dream.  Royal Caribbean welcomed the much anticipated 220,000 ton Oasis of the Seas. And the Yachts of Seabourn celebrated the arrival of its newest ship in six years, the Seabourn Odyssey.

The Carnival Dream sailed to New York City for her inaugural celebrations. Six employees of The Cruise Web ventured to New York to be part of the celebrations and to get first-hand experience of the new ship. The inaugural sailing took place on November 11 ending back in New York City just a short night later on November 12. Upon their return each employee eagerly shared their pictures and experiences with the rest of the company.

The Oasis of the Seas arrived in her home port of Port Everglades, Florida on November 13 for her inaugural celebrations. Eleven cruise consultants from The Cruise Web will head to Port Everglades to experience the newest ship from Royal Caribbean on November 21. Seven employees of The Cruise Web will be experience the new Oasis for a short one-night inaugural sailing while the remaining four will stay on for an additional night.

The Seabourn Odyssey arrived in Port Everglades, Florida on the morning of November 10.  Two cruise consultants from The Cruise Web flew to Port Everglades on November 11 for a one-night inaugural sailing that ended back in Port Everglades on November 12.  The two employees returned with much praise and many pictures of their experience.

 
The first week and a half of November was a popular month for vacation at The Cruise Web. Three employees took cruise vacations while one flew home to see family.

Senior Cruise Consultant Dana K. enjoyed a week-long cruise in the Mexican Riviera aboard the Sapphire Princess.

Senior Cruise Consultant Linda I. also enjoyed a week-long cruise in the Mexican Riviera aboard the Sapphire Princess, but on a different date than Dana.

Cruise Consultant Corinna C. spent a week with her family on a Southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess.

Lastly, Customer Service Associate Amilacar L. flew home to Bolivia for a two-week stay with family and friends.

The Cruise Web was happy to hear that each employee enjoyed their vacation and returned home refreshed and ready to help out its customers.

 
On October 1, The Cruise Web’s own cruise consultant Said (sigh-eed) D. made his comedic debut at the Broadway Comedy Club, located in the heart of Times Square in New York City.

Said was selected to be part of the “Big Brown Comedy Hour,” a comedy that features upcoming Arab, Indian, Iranian, Pakistani comedians. The show was hosted by Aasif Mandavi of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and showcased comics from major network television shows and blockbuster Hollywood movies. He was offered the opportunity by the producers of the show, whom Said had gotten to know through an audition six months earlier.

Said went on stage midway through a show packed with regular headliners and had about eight to ten minutes on stage.  The crowd enjoyed Said’s act -  which he describes as “observational comedy” (think improv) – so much that producers from the “New Jersey 1001 Laughs” comedy show asked him to be a part of their show the very next night!

“Comedy and making people laugh can be difficult if you want it to be. If I stay true to myself and stop thinking about what would make them laugh versus what I find funny, then it comes naturally. Each person has their own reason to laugh, and it is my mission to find common ground then deliver on that, so they are entertained. Maybe this is why I enjoy my job so much, each individual has a different definition of vacation… my job is to find the cruise that matches that definition and deliver it.”

As for his future in comedy, Said is taking it one gig at a time. After all he does have his past and future clients to consider!

by Jenn F., Cruise Consultant

Ship tours are one of the many educational opportunities offered to Cruise Web employees. When the different cruise ships come into port, we have a chance to go on board and take a guided tour. This is specifically a great opportunity to learn about ships that travel around the world!  As you can imagine, it is an entirely different experience than looking at deck plans and computer generated images on the Internet. This is our chance to see, hear, smell, and especially taste (food, of course) the real experience of a cruise ship.

Our most recent opportunity was this past Friday (October 16) to tour the Celebrity Constellation, leaving out of Bayonne, NJ. We arrived at the port ahead of schedule, parked, and checked in. Boarding the ship was an experience in itself as we were each greeted with a glass of champagne as we began our tour. First, we decided to explore the staterooms. I was not surprised to find that even the interior rooms seemed comfortable, as Celebrity is a cruise line known for a relaxing feel throughout the fleet.

Next, we had the chance to see some of the many common areas, including the Celebrity Theater and Martini Bar. One of my favorite spots was Michael’s Club, an absolutely beautiful lounge that showcases performances on a grand piano while you sit back, enjoy a drink, and get to know the people you will be spending the next week or so with. A fellow consultant Josh commented to me that “the ship had a nice upscale atmosphere to it, along with nicely matched colors, light setting and design.” I could not find any space to argue with him – the ship was beautiful!

After some exploration of our own, we all met up in the main dining room for a luncheon, where we had the chance to experience the impeccable service and food that Celebrity is known for. I sat down and the waiter unfolded my napkin onto my lap and handed me a menu. With so many delicious options, it was difficult to decide on what to order!

After lunch, we regretfully had to leave the ship so it could continue on its journey through Canada and New England.  We got back in our car and enjoyed the ride home with our stomachs full and a brand new inventory of knowledge we could relay to our clients. As cruise experts, we can tell people all there is to know about cruising, but there is a difference between knowing and experiencing. These ship tour opportunities ensure that we can tell you from personal experience why one ship or another is your best fit!

Jennifer Ford
Cruise Consultant
The Cruise Web, Inc.
1-800-377-9383     ext. 237
jenniferf@cruiseweb.com

by Chris R., Senior Manager of Sales and Client Services

On Wednesday, October 7th, The Cruise Web attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Career Fair. This particular career fair featured over 100 companies from across the region. 

We were very impressed with the level of talent the UMBC students and alumni possessed. Many economic reports mention that this is one of the toughest job markets that college graduates have ever faced.

Being eager to bring in bright individuals to expand and diversify The Cruise Web team, we were there to help these “concerned” students.

The Career Fair brought in a wide variety of students, ranging from those who were graduating in December to those who aren’t graduating until 2012.  There was also a steady stream of UMBC Alumni who visited our table.

We came away from UMBC’s Career Fair with a very favorable impression, several good candidates and resumes of several future Cruise Consultants.

Chris Roth
Senior Manager of Sales and Client Services
The Cruise Web, Inc.
1-800-377-9383  ext. 282

Today marks the launch of our new Gift Certificate Program! (*sound of people cheering*)

Our new Gift Certificate Program enables you to give the gift of a cruise, or cruise related amenity, to your uncle for his birthday, your sister for her wedding, your wife for your anniversary or anybody else who you know would enjoy The Cruise Web Gift Certificate.

Our Gift Certificates are available in any denomination and can be used by anyone for anything cruise related.  From spa treatments, to shore excursions to a free cruise compliments of you, The Cruise Web Gift Certificate gives you the flexibility of offering that special someone (or someones) a wide variety of gifts that they will surely be able to use and enjoy on their next cruise.

For more information about our new Gift Certificate Program, call one of our knowledgeable Cruise Consultants today!

Here at The Cruise Web, we understand that our company is only as good as the effort put forth by our employees. 

To show our appreciation for our employees, we hold an annual anniversary drawing where each employee gets a chance to win a free 7-day cruise for two.  

Each employee receives one entry into the drawing for each year they’ve been on the team.  Last week’s big winner was Warren Turner, a Cruise Consultant that has been with us for four years and counting. Now, Warren gets his pick of a fabulous 7-day cruise for two to take at his leisure.  Though reports have not been confirmed, the rumor is that Warren is thinking of some place warm and sunny.

Our Sales manager Michael Harris has long impressed his coworkers with his prowess at extraordinary eating.  Whether it’s polishing off an entire basket of the hottest wings Buffalo Wild Wings has to offer or being a member of the Cruise Web lunch group “The Meat Heads”, Michael is always pushing his own gastrointestinal boundaries.

But this past Saturday at the Anne Arundel County Fair, Michael put his reputation on the line.  As seen in this video captured by his biggest fan and wife, Michael (wearing the white shirt and black hat) clearly dusts the competition.  As you can see Michael devours a quarter watermelon in under a minute.

As rules require, he accomplishes that feat, using only his mouth.  For his efforts Michael takes home not only the title of Anne Arundel County Watermelon Eating Champion, but also a trophy and a series of ribbons declaring his championship.

Congratulations Michael!  You’ve made The Cruise Web proud!