Ports and cities must work closer with cruiselines if they want to increase revenues from cruise passengers.
Speaking at a cruise conference organised by the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives this week, Fred Olsen Cruise Line marketing director Nigel Lingard said shrewd cities work with cruiselines to encourage passengers to stay either pre or post-cruise.
He said: “Cruise Lines International Association estimated cruise passengers spent an average $290 per night on pre and post-cruise holidays in embarkation ports in 2006. Multiply that up by the number of cruise passengers and it’s a lot of money, and it will have increased since then.”
Hurtigruten head of commercial Kathryn Beadle said the cruiseline had the best two weeks of sales in its history after a programme featuring Joanna Lumley travelling to the Northern Lights.
“That was down to our relationship with the Norwegian tourist board. We work closely together and they alerted us to it so we were prepared with mailings, posters and window displays for agents so they could capture consumers’ interest. If we hadn’t known the show was on, we would have missed the boat.”
Carnival Cruise Lines UK managing director Lynn Narraway said cruise passengers are looking for memories and experiences, efficiency and comfortable transport.
She added: “We are handing our passengers over to the ports so we have to be sure they will deliver the right experience, a good range of excursions and value for money.”