Travel Weekly’s Cruise Month couldn’t be better timed. This April is a very special one for the trade, with three spectacular cruise ship launches demonstrating how the sector is on the up.
The arrival of Royal Caribbean International’s fun-packed (and giant!) Independence of the Seas, P&O’s quintessentially British Ventura and MSC Cruises’ elegant MSC Poesia is big news for agents looking to make the most of the buoyant cruise market.
And with all three ships launching from Southampton and Dover, UK consumers are sure to have their eyes opened even more to the benefits of setting sail for a stress-free holiday.
Of course, we all know how well cruise is doing. Elsewhere in Travel Weekly you are sure to read the impressive statistics – 1.35 million people took a cruise last year (up 11% on 2006); and 1.55 million people are expected to cruise this year. By 2010, this figure rises to two million.
These new launches, and the raft of new ships before them, have done a lot to improve the segmentation of cruising and demonstrate how agents can cash in. There is now a cruise for everyone, whether it’s active twenty-somethings, families with hard-to-please teens or older clients in search of sun and culture.
The on board experience is now as important as the destinations visited, and making sure you are able to match customers to their requirements has become a vital skill. That means you have to stay up-to-date with the facilities on every ship and as know what’s available in each port of call.
Thankfully agents are not alone. This daunting task is made a lot easier thanks to the excellent training programmes available. Personal experience is important too, so consultants should make sure they take advantage of as many ship visits as possible.
But it’s not all plain sailing. While all this extra capacity is good news – remember, there will be 43 new ships entering the market by 2012 – cruising has traditionally been a high-discount business, which has put pressure on margins.
Further threats of commission cuts by Complete Cruise Solution and the power of specialist cruise agencies and successful multiple players such as Thomas Cook do nothing to help smaller players looking to break into cruising.
Once again, independent consortia can help here. Through dedicated cruise programmes agents can make the most of comprehensive marketing support.
Cruise really is the place to be. So seize the opportunity and make sure you are not an April fool.
Julia Lo Bue-Said is commercial director of Advantage