Travel Weekly’s Cruise Club follows six travel agents as they bid to improve their cruise sales.
With National Cruise Week set to launch on September 7, we caught up with our Cruise Club members to find out what they have planned.
Accessible Travel
Disabled travel specialist Accessible Travel has organised day trips for customers to see Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International-owned ships in the run-up to National Cruise Week.
Travel Weekly Cruise Club member Tracy McFall, one of five Accessible Travel franchisees, has nine customers booked to see Independence of the Seas on September 6.
She said: “Some of my clients have cruised before, but in some cases it was before they had a disability – they thought they could not go on a cruise now.
“Most ships don’t say how accessible they are but we can point clients in the right direction.”
Knowle Travel
Knowle Travel in Solihull is arranging daily cruise-related events to mark National Cruise Week.
A Complete Cruise Solution representative will be in store on September 8 to talk to customers. On September 9, a Norwegian Cruise Line representative will join agency staff for an early evening presentation and drinks for clients, while a Fred Olsen Cruise Line representative will join the agency’s coffee morning on September 10.
The next day it is holding a combined Hurtigruten and Peter Deilmann customer evening.
Manager Julie Ray said: “I am hoping all the cruiselines will bring exclusive offers. Anything that pushes your profile helps.”
TR4 Travel
TR4 Travel will decorate its agency in Holywell, Flintshire, for National Cruise Week and has exclusive offers from Complete Cruise Solution to advertise in the local press.
The agency has set up its own cruise club with a local newspaper and already has about 300 members. It targets customers with specific offers by email and is planning an event in February, where at least 10 cruise operators will showcase product.
TW Cruise Club member Adele Parry said: “We will have cruise point of sale material in the shop and novelties to give away.”
Future Travel Group
TW Cruise Club member David Sixsmith a Personal Travel Advisor for the Future Travel Group, will target a wider group of customers next month.
Sixsmith plans to send out more cruise e-shots to an increased customer database.
Sixsmith said: “I have taken over a colleague’s database and plan to write an introductory letter to clients to remind them of this and market cruises to them.”
GoCruise
GoCruise franchisee Martin Hay is organising the Ribble Valley Cruise Fair.
So far Complete Cruise Solution’s brands P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Ocean Village and Cunard Royal Caribbean’s brands Celebrity, Azamara and Royal Caribbean International Hurtigruten and Peter Deilmann River Cruises are attending the fair at Whalley Abbey on September 28.
Hay is inviting all clients on his database and has produced leaflets to entice more potential customers. Cruiselines will have stands and give presentations.
Hay said: “It’s nice to have niche players as well as the main brands. I would be delighted if 200-300 people came along.”
Holly-days Travel Shop
Holly-days Travel Shop in Folkestone plans to decorate its shop with cruise posters and offers, and will have a DVD screening cruise products during National Cruise Week.
Exclusive deals have also been arranged with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Complete Cruise Solution for ads in Kent Today newspaper.
TW Cruise Club agent Holly Warner said: “We will have offers on show and DVDs from the majority of cruiselines.”
