Brief: An older couple looking for a bargain on a Mediterranean cruise. They are happy to travel off-peak – in the winter, but would like a ship with plenty of entertainment and activities.
Budget: up to £4,000.
Verdict: There was some tough scoring from Mystery Shopper this week, but the more in-depth consultations were able to earn extra points.
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook11 Rivington Road
Score: 38%
All staff were busy with customers when I entered, but after a few minutes I was offered help. The consultant who dealt with me was approachable. She asked about the type of holiday I was considering and whether I had any particular destination in mind.
She suggested an eight-day Island Cruises holiday called the Mediterranean Discovery Cruise costing £1,983, but didn’t ask about my budget or what I wanted out of the holiday.
I was given a brochure and itinerary, but the agent lost out on the opportunity to accrue further points by not going into more depth, such as talking about the type of ship, specific destinations or add-ons.
First Choice Holiday Hypermarket
First Choice Holiday HypermarketThe Coliseum, Cheshire Oaks
Score: 58%
This shop was well presented and, on entering, there was a screen showing a rolling display of holidays. It was 10 minutes until I was served, as staff were busy.
The consultant was friendly and managed my expectations in terms of the length of time it would take to do the research to find a suitable cruise. As well as asking about budget and destinations, the consultant asked if it was my first cruise and gave me advice on different ships and their relative benefits.
The quotes included £3,096 for a Princess Cruises Egyptian and Aegean cruise on Star Princess. As an alternative, she also suggested a Caribbean cruise within budget, with onboard credit included. The consultant was knowledgeable
and professional, but the wait was long.
The Co-operative Travel
The Co-operative Travel26 Mercer Walk
Score: 59%
There were two members of staff in what appeared to be a busy shop but I was served immediately. The consultant had a nice manner, listening well to my requirements and taking down enough details to be able to do the relevant research.
However, she didn’t discuss budget, and only considered Thomson cruises. She quoted £3,282 for a 14-night cruise on Thomson Spirit on the Island Escape itinerary for an outside cabin. She seemed to know about the different types of ships available and throughout the discussion referred to a colleague who had been on a Thomson cruise.
In terms of appearance, the branch was a little unkempt.
Thomson
Thomson9 Rivington Road
Score: 64%
A very personable consultant greeted me. From the outset she made it clear how long it would take to find a suitable cruise.
She built up a good idea of my needs through general conversation and didn’t ask about budget outright, but brought up the price options within the discussion, for example breaking down a drinks package into a daily cost and then asking ‘could you envisage spending this per day on drink?’
She helped to bring an all-inclusive holiday to life and also discussed insurance. She sold the benefits of cruising on a smaller ship, citing attentiveness and personal service.
The total cost of the cruise, including an all-inclusive package and insurance, was £4,091 for a 14-night Adriatic Explorer cruise on Thomson Spirit.
The winning agent: Pat Maxwell, travel adviser
“I am the shop’s cruise expert, but I’ve never been on a cruise. I’m looking forward to my first ship visit on the Queen Mary in October. I matched this customer to this cruise, as he said he wanted to go to Greece and Italy and this was the only one that did both.”