Discounts of up to £600 per cabin lead MSC Cruises’ turn-of-year sales campaign.
The sale prices will be available from December 1 until March 5 next year and are focused on the Italian line’s fly-cruise programme in summer 2015 and the following winter.
Agents will receive full commission on the entire package price – cruise and flight – designed to maximise their earnings during the peak selling period.
A dedicated brochure is being published for the first time to support the ‘wave’ period promotional campaign.
More than 32,000 brochures are being produced for the trade, which will be distributed to key retail partners. The move supports the line’s focus on both cruise specialists and high street partners including Thomas Cook and Tui.
MSC Cruises executive director UK & Ireland, Giles Hawke, said: “This year’s wave campaign underlines our commitment to our trade partners.
“Cruise is a fiercely competitive business, especially in the peak period, so it is vital that we have an offer that is compelling for consumers and recognises the effort agents make on our behalf.
“By extending commission on the whole package price we are ensuring agents can make a decent return on a great-value holiday.
“Our sale is a win-win situation for agents and their clients. We are also ensuring it is a very simple sale for agents by offering our biggest ever range of fly-cruises so that our product can be sold in one simple transaction”
Discounts apply to summer 2015 fly-cruises on six ships – MSC Magnifica, MSC Musica, MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia and MSC Armonia. All depart from either Venice or Genoa.
Additionally, promotional fares are also available for winter 2015/16 sailings in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Middle East and the Caribbean.
Summer sale rates start at £549 per person, based on a seven-night MSC Fantasia sailing in April 2015 – a discount of £300 per person on brochure prices.
Upgrades to balcony cabins are available on all seven-night sailings for £200 per person.
Fly-cruise rates apply to departures from Gatwick and include return British Airways flights and overseas transfers.
The option of feeder flights to Gatwick plus overnight airport hotel stay is being offered for regional customers, or the chance to add car parking and a one-night hotel stay via a new partnership with A2B Transfers.