Start-up cruiseline Cruise and Maritime Voyages is looking to expand its trade base to help fill the new year-round two-ship operation launched last month.
The cruiseline, created by Cruise and Maritime Service, is offering year-round ex-UK cruises on Marco Polo from January 2010 and on Ocean Countess from April next year.
It replaces CMS, which has subchartered Marco Polo from German company Transocean Tours for cruises from Tilbury for the past two summers.
Cruise and Maritime Voyages director Chris Coates said CMS had about 10,000 berths to sell this summer. In comparison, the new cruiseline will have about 27,000 across the two ships in the first nine months of next year – 17,500 on Marco Polo between January and October, and 16,000 on Ocean Countess between April and October.
He said: “About 85% of bookings this year were through agents and operators, and we want to maintain that percentage, but as we are trebling capacity, that means we need to work with more retailers.
“We will be advertising in the trade press, going out to see more agents, and offering support to retailers who work with us on mailings and promotions.”
Coates said he expected a lot more interest for the new year-round operation. “As a general sales agency, CMS has always operated short seasons, but the trade likes continuity so they have more to sell,” he said.
“There is not a lot of regional capacity in the UK, and people like to cruise from their own port. We know from past experience that, if we pitch the price right, we will get a lot of support. Agents are already taking allocation for Ocean Countess.”
Coates would like 40% of Marco Polo‘s ex-Tilbury programme and 60% of Ocean Countess‘s cruises sold by the end of the year. “Despite the economic situation we are cautiously optimistic. It’s a huge increase in capacity, but nothing we feel we can’t sell.”
Cruise and Maritime Voyages has joined the Passenger Shipping Association and the Association of Cruise Experts with immediate effect.