According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruises are predicted to outperform other types of travel in 2011. This upswing coincides with rebounding interest in corporate meetings and incentive trips as the U.S. economy continues to recover. Organizations are also exploring unconventional but cost-effective venues when planning their next meeting, according to travel industry research firm PhoCusWright. The research from PhoCusWright’s recent report on Groups & Meetings cited that the number of planners who intend to use a cruise ship for a meeting or event venue increased by a third - from 6 to 8 % in 2010.

“Meetings at sea are an economical and exciting alternative to rotate with traditional land-based meetings. Cruise meetings can offer savings of up to 40% compared to a hotel because they include a wide variety of amenities such as fine dining, audio/visual equipment and world-class entertainment,” said Jo Kling, president, Landry & Kling. “Whether you’re looking for an off-site board meeting, or want to host awards ceremonies or a networking seminar with tradeshow, there’s a ship that fits your needs.”

All of the ships on Landry & Kling’s top 10 list boast superior service, state-of-the-art function space and important on-board features such as private group dining and team building opportunities.

Landry & Kling’s top 10 ships for meetings and group events follow:

• SeaDream II—SeaDream Yacht Club
• Liberty of the Seas—Royal Caribbean
• Celebrity Millennium—Celebrity Cruises
• Silver Spirit—Silversea Cruises
• Pride of America—Norwegian Cruise Line
• Seven Seas Navigator—Regent Seven Seas
• MSC Splendida—MSC Cruises
• Allure of the Seas—Royal Caribbean International
• Carnival Dream—Carnival Cruise Lines
• National Geographic Endeavor—Lindblad Expeditions.