CUNARD Line is planning to improve recognition of its Seabourn Line brand in the UK through a series of promotional events aimed at the travel trade.
General sales manager Neil King said: “Our objective is to lift awareness of the Seabourn brand in the UK market and we are putting a lot of money into working with productive agents.
“A lot of them are so good at selling Cunard that they tend to ignore Seabourn.”
Seabourn will take around 100 agents on seven-day educational trips next year.
It is also planning to invite agents and their best customers to tour the ships during 16 port calls around the UK.
Stops are set to include Dublin, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Dover and Southampton. “We just started doing these visits this year. We did around three or four of them but demand was so great we decided to try and extend it,” explained King.
In addition, Cunard and Seabourn president and chief executive officer Larry Pimentel is likely to repeat his seminar for agents, titled Selling To The Affluent, during visits to the UK next year. Pimentel held two seminars attracting 75 agents each this year.
Meanwhile, King revealed that the company’s budget for holding joint promotions with productive agents had just increased by 20%.
He said the extra money would be available to agents who were promoting specific Seabourn departures. He refused to say exactly how big the budget was.
Seabourn has a fleet of six luxury ships, which are being marketed to different types of cruise customer.
The newly refurbished Seabourn Sun – formerly Royal Viking Sun – was unveiled as the company’s flagship at a trade event in Southampton at the end of last month.
As the largest Seabourn ship, it will offer the greatest variety of accommodation and activities.
Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend will target passengers who like a formal, traditional style of cruising.
Meanwhile, Seabourn Goddess I and Seabourn Goddess II will have a casual atmosphere designed to appeal to a younger, more active clientele
Pimentel, who attended the event in Southampton, said that he placed great importance on feedback from the trade about the Seabourn product. “It’s my intention to constantly survey UK agents and review our service,” he said.