Business Feature

By Courtney Jordan

When Harvey Byrnes was cruising the Internet a few years ago looking for a good deal on a cruise, he had no idea that his interest would turn into a business venture. Byrnes’ interest in the cruise industry began shortly after his six year-old son, Pete, was born. He says, “I wanted to give my wife a break and take her on a cruise as a vacation.” Well, they had a nice trip and decided to go again.

However, instead of making travel arrangements through a traditional travel agent, he bought their tickets through the Internet. Despite initial reservations about giving out his credit card number on the computer, everything turned out great and he got a good deal. Pretty soon, friends were asking him to help them book cruises using the same company that he’d been dealing with. After doing some research, Byrnes decided that he would open up his own business called, “The Cruiseman of Medina.”

Since November of 1998, the Medina resident has been operating Cruiseman of Medina in addition to working as an engineer at Babcock & Wilcox, a power generation company located in Barberton. In less than a year, Byrnes and his wife Denise have helped over 60 couples choose their perfect vacation.

The Cruiseman of Medina is affiliated with Florida-based Cruise Emporium. Byrnes works hard to help his customers book the perfect cruise for their needs. A wide variety of cruise lines are available to customers including, but not limited to, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line Cruises. Some of his customers choose to go on a trip with friends and take advantage of special group rates.

Speaking of rates, Byrnes points out that going on a cruise really is affordable. “Most of the time, I would say that 75 percent of your major expenditures are included in the price of the cruise -- such as all your meals and lodging.”

Several interesting changes have taken place within the industry lately. Cruise lines have become more accessible for the disabled population and now feature some special rooms and other features. Most cruise lines have special programs for children, too. In fact, baby-sitting is usually available at no cost.

Byrnes said, “My family usually goes on cruises twice a year. I go with just my wife once and usually my kids come on the other one. They love it.” Byrnes’ daughter Holly will be aboard a special graduation cruise next year on Carnival’s Paradise that he and his wife will be chaperoning.

Are you hesitant to go on a dream cruise because of motion sickness? According to Byrnes, the ailment is now termed motion “discomfort” and can be fought off by keeping something in your stomach. “Lots of folks are afraid to eat, but it really helps,” he advises. That is why most cruise lines offer food to their guests 24 hours a day. Another way to fight off motion discomfort is to try to get to a low center section of the ship. The lower you are on the ship, the less you’ll feel the ship’s sway.

Armed with that knowledge, visit The Cruiseman of Medina’s web site at www.medinacruiseman.com, or visit them at www.MedinaMall.com for more info on how to book a great cruise.

Smooth sailing, everyone!