[Blindtlk] Fwd: Cheryl Echevarria, President - NFB Travel and Tourism Division becomes first of 8 Travel Partners to sit on the Norwegian Cruise Lines Advisory Board

[David Andrews]

>
>For Immediate Release:
>
>Echevarria Travel of Brentwood, NY
>
>
>
>NCL U Advisory Board Position with Norwegian Cruise Lines
>
>
>
>Brentwood, NY — August 7, 2012 — Today at the 
>monthly webinar for Travel First Partners with 
>Norwegian Cruise Lines, they had announced their 
>Norwegian Cruise Lines University Board Program 
>and the 8 people that will hold these positions 
>on a 1 year term.  It was announced that Cheryl 
>Echevarria, Owner/Agent of Echevarria Travel, 
>located in Brentwood, NY, will be the first of the 8.
>
>To complete such a feet with Norwegian Cruise 
>Lines, there is criteria that must be met and 
>all these people have completed this task, plus 
>help others in the travel community, as well as with their clients.
>
>      Andrew Stuart, Executive Vice President of 
> Global Sales and Passenger Services, stated on 
> the webinar, there were so many travel partners 
> to choose from and a difficult decision, but 
> there were over 76 people nominated for the new 
> board, and these 8 people are our pick for the 2012-2013 year.
>
>Comments from Cheryl Echevarria
>
>      Cheryl Echevarria says "It is an honor and 
> wasn’t an easy task to accomplish.  You first 
> must have completed the Norwegian Cruise Lines 
> certification courses and the PhD. Program, 
> which consists of online training through the 
> NCL University, and also take a 7 day cruise 
> when offered for the PhD completion of the 
> program, which includes 3 days of Cruise Lines 
> International Association Class (CLIA) 
> seminars, which I hold a membership with for 
> travel professionals to sell cruises and other 
> travel destinations, and must be renewed on a 
> yearly basis."  She also says, "This has taken 
> almost 2 years to finish. Plus, I had to sell a 
> certain amount of cruises for the company as well to be even considered."
>
>Partnership with Norwegian Cruise Lines and Echevarria Travel
>
>      Since starting Echevarria Travel in 2009, 
> she has been working extremely hard with 
> Norwegian Cruise Lines to make the ships 
> accessible for everyone, being blind from 
> diabetes and kidney failure since 2001, and is 
> the current President of the National 
> Federation of the Blind, Travel and Tourism 
> Division.  She says that Norwegian has welcomed 
> all her comments and has improved greatly on 
> the accessibility for all travelers, including 
> the implementation of Braille on all their 
> ships, when others are going the way of 
> electrical devices, and they have an Access 
> Department on every one of their ships, and so much more in the works.
>
>
>
>#########
>
>
>
>To Contact Echevarria Travel:
>
>            Cheryl Echevarria, Owner/Agent, 
> 631-456-5394, 
> <mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>
>
>
>For more information on Echevarria Travel:
>
>
>
>            Echevarria Travel started in 2009, 
> by the only blind owner/agent in the Tri-State 
> Area, making travel accessible for everyone.
>
><http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>http://www.echevarriatravel.com/
>
>
>
>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>           With more than 50,000 members, the 
> National Federation of the Blind is the largest 
> and most influential membership organization of 
> blind people in the United States. The NFB 
> improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, 
> education, research, technology, and programs 
> encouraging independence and self-confidence. 
> It is the leading force in the blindness field 
> today and the voice of the nation’s blind. In 
> January 2004 the NFB opened the National 
> Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the 
> first research and training center in the 
> United States for the blind led by the 
> blind.  <http://www.nfb.org/>http://www.nfb.org
>
>
>
>
>Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
>Cheryl Echevarria, Owner
>http://www.echevarriatravel.com
>631-456-5394
>reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
>
>2012 Norwegian Cruise Line University Advisory Board Member.
>
>Help fuel the "Dream Machine" of the Imagination Fund by visiting
><http://www.nfb.org/imaginationfund>www.nfb.org/imaginationfund 
>to make a donation using your credit card or
>text the word "blind" to 85944 and you will 
>automatically donate $10 worth of fuel via your cell phone bill.