The Sales and Guest Services Internship prepares interns for the workplace by creating professional opportunities for interns. These types of opportunities provide countless experiences and skill sets that are fundamental to an intern’s professional growth. Read more from previous interns about how the Sales and Guest Services Internship catapulted their academic and professional success.
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Mary Bittner
Summer 2014 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Public Policy with a concentration in Business & Economics, University of Chicago
I am entering my last year at the University of Chicago where I will be finishing classes early in December. This past summer, I conducted research in Lillehammer, Norway for my BA Senior thesis on the Economics of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. Although in a slightly different field and country than my 2014 summer in Chicago working for Entertainment Cruises, my previous experience as a Sales/Customer Service Intern prepared me for conducting my research project. I immediately felt comfortable interviewing Lillehammer residents after I had interacted with so many customers over the phone during my 2014 EC internship. Although I was no longer “selling” anything, I used the sales skills that I had developed through my time at EC to convince residents to discuss their feelings about the ’94 Olympic Games and the mega-sporting event’s effect on the Norwegian inland region with a random American student for her research project. Additionally, my internship with EC has provided me with countless examples and experiences that I still use during interviews, especially for the common question about handling someone that is unhappy. I grew tremendously, both as a person and a business professional, from my time at Entertainment Cruises and recommend the internship for any student looking to learn valuable professional skills, make incredible friends and learn more about sales and customer service.
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Morgan Burkemper
Summer 2014 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Marketing and Information Systems and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
My first internship experience was with Entertainment Cruises my sophomore summer as a Sales Intern. My junior summer, I interned at KPMG as a Management Consulting Technology Intern focusing on Enterprise Solutions. I have proceeded to accept my full time position at KPMG in this same line of business which I interned in and will begin after graduation in 2016.
Entertainment Cruises taught me a great deal about working in the real world and also about myself as a growing professional. The company culture is second to none and I always felt like everyone was willing to help me. I learned not only how to successfully communicate with a customer, but how to properly sell them the many different options of cruises, along with the up-sells. Over time, I learned what worked the best, and what did not. I learned how to stay positive even if a customer was upset or rude. The most important thing I learned as an intern, is how to deliver excellent customers service. In any career, whether you are a truck driver, a CEO, or a consultant (like I will soon be), knowing how to deliver great customer service is one of the most important skills to obtain.
When interviewing for KPMG, I used multiple examples from various situations I had encountered during my experience at Entertainment Cruises. Some customers would call Entertainment Cruises and specifically ask for me, because they enjoyed conversation with me and felt that I explained things thoroughly. There were also a handful of customers who would call extremely upset about a situation, and I would have to remain calm and positive and assure the customer that the issue would be resolved. Both positive and tough scenarios help me to grow in a positive way.
In general, any internship experience is beneficial, however, Entertainment Cruises is the type of experience that will allow you to conduct sales hands on with many customers on a daily basis. Each of which help you to learn from and grow as a young professional.
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James Peachey
Summer 2014 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Insurance and Finance, Illinois State University
Throughout my experience as a customer service and sales intern at Entertainment Cruises I was able to increase my overall marketing and sales skills through the in-depth training put on by the company. The daily over-the-phone and face-to-face sales interactions were tremendous learning experiences, I have gained skills that I am still using today. The internship was very hands-on and you did work that was important to the company, you were not just filing papers in the back office. At Entertainment Cruises you are surrounded by people who are extremely encouraging and push you to make your goals.
The internship left me with a tremendous amount of work experience. This has allowed me to intern in London this past summer and accept a job as a commercial insurance broker in Chicago upon graduation in May.
Overall, the best part about Entertainment Cruises is the culture and the people who work there. I looked forward to going into work every day and to be greeted by such wonderful people who are the core of the “EC” family. I still keep in-touch with those who I have interned with and am very happy that I was able to spend a summer in the heart of Chicago with such great people.
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Jay Jaeger
Summer 2014 Intern/Team Leader
Market Research Intern, Robert Bosch LLC
Everyone reading this wants to know how the job was? Did you learn anything? Were the employees nice? Were you just someone to get coffee and nothing else?
When I first got the call that I got the job I had those same questions. I was skeptical and I did not really know what the Customer Service Intern entailed. That was until I met the Entertainment Cruises manager staff. They got me prepared to do the job I needed to do. The person that helped mold me the most was Bill. Bill was an amazing leader, teacher, and friend to me during my time at Entertainment Cruises. He took my hand and guided me to become the best sales representative I could. Yes you read that correctly, a sales representative, that is what you are going to be doing. You are going to be selling high end lunch and dinner cruises for multiple cities all over the United States. It was an amazing job. But I would not have been able to do it without a teacher/trainer.
Bill was an amazing trainer. He knew exactly how to teach while making it fun and engaging. But what was he teaching me exactly. He taught me how to talk to guests properly, how to engage them and learn about what they were celebrating. He taught me how to sell all the different kind of packages with the proper highlights. He taught me OSS, and if I had to break it down to its simplest form, it would be the “Golden Rule“. He taught me my ABC’s, no not the alphabet, but Always Be Closing. It is a simple phase, but means everything in the sales world. When you close a sale, you are ultimately helping yourself. Sales help with your incentives that Entertainment Cruises offers. Which means a bigger pay check for you! But what if you cannot close a sale or are having trouble with the ropes. Well you will always have help.
Bill was always there to answer questions I had, and if on the off chance he was not, then I knew I could go to any of the managers or my team leader for help. They always greeted me with a smile and gave clear direct answers to problems I was facing. What is a team leader you ask? When I finished with training I was placed on Mikey’s team. I could not have been more lucky. Mikey was someone who showed excellent customer service as a sales representative while also showing he was kind and helped everyone he could, because of this he was given the position of Team Leader. It is someone who is always there to help you, coach you and push you. They want to see you succeed and have a fun time while working at Entertainment Cruises.
I had a very unique experience, because when my internship was near the end, I applied for the team leader position and got it! I continued to work at Entertainment Cruises for a few more months in that position. I was able to have my own team and be a mentor for others, and watching them accomplish their goals. It was rewarding to see a team member improve based on your coaching and pushing. I loved working at Entertainment Cruises, it was a Family. They taught me so much more than being a sales representative. They taught me how to make lasting friendships, communications skills, and most importantly how to be a better person. This internship was the furthest thing from getting coffee and printing papers, it was an experience. An experience that you will be so grateful you had. So go and have fun with the Entertainment Cruises family. You will not regret it!
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Jake Thiel
Summer 2014 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Marketing, University of Iowa
My sophomore year I decided to go to the career fair and see what opportunities I would find for a summer internship. I saw a cruise company and thought that might be fun. I had no idea what I was getting into and how much Entertainment Cruises would help my life.
I am now a Senior in college and I currently have signed an offer for a full time job with a fortune 250 logistics company to start after I graduate in May 2016. Interning at Entertainment Cruises not only prepared me for a role in sales, but it helped me land my junior year internship which then lead to an offer for a full time job. While interning for Entertainment Cruises, I learned how to negotiate and talk with customers. I learned that encountering difficult people is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it is rewarding to turn a difficult situation with a customer into a positive experience for them. I also learned how to manage my time and deal with hectic situations. These are all skills that I used during my Junior year internship and skills I will continue to use while working full time.
When I interviewed for my internship with the logistics company, my main talking point was my experience as an intern with Entertainment Cruises. I talked about all the skills I gained and how I had a vast knowledge in sales because of my experiences. I even sold the head recruiter on a romance package on the Odyssey after he asked what would be a good package for his anniversary with his wife.
Overall, my internship at Entertainment Cruises was an incredibly valuable experience. I enjoyed working with several other interns my age and the fun environment the office provided. Going on cruises with the other employees, as well as events such as touring Chicago in a double decker bus with Entertainment cruises were all experiences that showed the company cared about me and wanted me to enjoy my summer working with them. I would highly recommend an internship with Entertainment Cruises to anyone who is lucky enough to be given the opportunity. You will not regret it.
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Mike Minogue
Summer 2013 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Software Renewal Specialist, CDW
Working with Entertainment Cruises, and the internship program specifically was a great experience. My recommendation for any intern would be to make a name for yourself. With large intern classes, it is important to show the company that you can be a valuable asset, even when compared to several handfuls of your peers. Take extra shifts, show pride in your sales, attend meet and greets, and keep in close contact with the management team. Sure you can talk to them about the weather, and what happened in the Cubs game last night, but I’m talking about career conversations. Keep them posted on your career aspirations, ask them what you can be doing better, and let them know you are always willing to take on new challenges. This can open several doors to other responsibilities and even job opportunities!
Overall, the one thing this job prepared me for was how to be my own manager and make a name for myself. I remember one time early in my tenure with the company, I was struggling with my sales, and looked to Benia for some advice. She simply told me that I needed to be my own manager. It was simple advice, but extremely helpful. This allowed me to take the core information I had learned in training and use it in a more effective, personalized way during sales calls.
In order to have any shot at career success, you need to take ownership of your work, which is something I strived to do in my various positions with Entertainment Cruises, and is something I will continue to strive for as long as I work.
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Entertainment Cruises 
