There has never been such an amazing breadth of choice in the sector, according to Cosmos and Avalon Waterways’ Giles Hawke.
In August I’m going on my first family river cruise holiday.
We’re taking a seven-day sailing on the Rhone with the intention of being as busy and engaged throughout, with activities that will suit all of us.
My 16-year-old is looking forward to the breakfast and lunch buffets and chilling in the Jacuzzi as we sail past vineyards and chateaux. My 14-yearold is excited about the chance to do some painting in a French artist’s studio and reading her book lying on her bed in the Panorama Suite while watching the river drift slowly by. And my wife is looking forward to the morning stretching sessions with the onboard Adventure Host and doing some wine-tasting on a gentle bike ride around the Côtes du Rhône. She’s also looking forward to me disappearing off on a slightly more energetic ride or a run so that she can enjoy a quiet rosé on the sky deck.
I can’t wait to sample all of the food and paired wines, the daily activity schedule and to try out some of the incredible choice of cocktails created by our London mixologist, while also getting to spend time in one of my favourite areas in the world. You might wonder why I have never taken a family river cruise before, but it’s quite simple really: the timing has not been quite right. The last few years have taught me, however, that we should grab these opportunities and get on and do them, rather than waiting and thinking “one day”, as the time is always right!
Ask the right questions
One of the big opportunities within the cruise industry is that pretty much everyone would enjoy the right cruise. Even the cruise doubters would have a wonderful time if they could overcome their prejudices and be prepared to try it.
Our job is to convince people that there is a cruise for them and that the time to try it is now.
The old misconceptions of cruising are alive and kicking: too stuffy, too busy, too much like a holiday camp, I’m too young, I will get bored, I will get seasick, too formal and so on. We all know that, with the right questions being asked and people being prepared to be open-minded, more than 90% of people who take their first cruise will come back.
We know that many people, on taking their first cruise, say they wished they hadn’t waited so long to try it. We know that satisfaction rates in the cruise industry are among the highest in the travel industry.
Even the cruise doubters would have a wonderful time if they could overcome their prejudices and be prepared to try it
Phrase it differently
So we need to start talking to customers about cruising and explaining why it’s a great option for them.
Rather than saying “Have you thought about a cruise?”, we should be saying “I have the holiday just for you” and offering them a cruise.
Clearly, we need to understand their motivations, what they want to do on holiday, what the make-up of their group is and how important various aspects are to them such as dining, entertainment, excursions, accommodation style and the size of the vessel. We also need to understand the offerings of each cruise line and how they differ, so that when our clients get on board they feel at home immediately.
These are essential ingredients to any successful holiday. The key here is that this is the year to cruise and this is the year to sell cruise.
There has never been such a breadth of amazing choice, such great deals, so many destinations and styles of cruising and so much support from cruise lines for agents to benefit from. Clia has never been better positioned to help with training and inspiration, while customers have never been in such need of a holiday and an escape. If ever there was a time to say “I have the perfect holiday for you – it’s on a cruise ship”, surely this is the time.
It’s not too late to brush up on all of the training available. And it’s not too late to take advantage of ship visits, fam trips and other educational opportunities to improve your knowledge and ensure you can sell the right holiday to each person.
Let’s be very clear: 2023 is the time to cruise.