Small-ship cruise site prepares to set sail
Firm has signed 30 companies

Seattle -- ExpeditionTrips.com, a firm specializing in marketing small-ship cruises is preparing a mid-October launch.

Founded by Ashton Palmer, a former expedition leader for Abercrombie and Kent, Quark Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions, the firm plans to act as a wholesaler, serving as a one-stop shop for travel agents looking for small-ship cruises worldwide.

The firm said it signed agreements with 30 companies that offer small-ship cruises and expects to sign many more.

Kristy Royce, ExpeditionTrips.com's vice president and former operations manager for Zegrahm Expeditions, said that the firm will offer the only searchable database of such products on the Internet.

Bookings will not be taken on line but through a toll-free number, (877) 412-8527.

Commission on all products is 10%, and co-op marketing arrangements will be available.

Clients will be asked whether they have a travel agent; if they do, the agent will be credited for the booking with full commission.

"The reservations staff at ExpeditionTrips.com includes former expedition leaders and naturalists who have worked on the ships and can act as travel counselors for travel agents not familair with the products," Royce said.

"The Internet is the resource for the client and travel agent to do comparison shopping, but we feel there is a need for knowledge and hand-holding - for someone to explain the differences in the 30 ships that go to Antarctica, for example," she said.

Consumers and agents who will visit the ExpeditionTrips.com site can sign up to receive e-mail notification of last-minute cabin space, special offers and discounts.