Cunard president hails ‘more agent engagement than ever’ ahead of 2028 launch

Cunard’s president has praised agent engagement and outlined “big opportunities” in its new programme launch.

The line’s 2028 season goes on sale on May 20 for all passengers, and was available from yesterday (May 18) for Cunard World Club members. It features 190 voyages visiting 36 countries and 125 ports between April 2028 and January 2029.

Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast, Katie McAlister said the line was “seeing more engagement than ever” from the UK trade, particularly for webinars ahead of its 2028 season going on sale.

She said: “Last year, when we launched [2027-28 programme], we had around 400 agents register for the webinars [to prepare for launch day].

“This year, with launch, we’ve got over 700, so we’ve got a lot more engagement with the brand.”

McAlister attributed this to “the hard work” of the line’s sales team and “being able to dig deeper” into the travel agent network through more ship visits and fam trips.

She noted this year Cunard will host 900 UK agents on board its ships which is double last year’s figure.

McAlister added that agents “over-index” on programme launches and the 2028 season has “three big opportunities” for them to capitalise on: shorter sailings on the fleet’s newest ship Queen Anne, speciality or event voyages and transatlantic crossings.

She added: “For our travel agent partners, we have got more ex-UK cruises than ever before [for 2028], so loads of great choice with something at every price point within that.

“We have got everything from a short break to Hamburg for £250 through to a 36-night voyage in a top suite for over £30,000.”

She predicted these trades would be particularly attractive to “newcomers”, while the line’s first four-ship fleet meet-up in Liverpool would appeal to both loyal passengers and new-to-cruise.

Speaking about the impact of the Middle East conflict on customer confidence and booking trends, McAlister said the company was “well-placed to capture demand” and the shift towards a more ex-UK or Europe-based programme reflected “great strength from the UK market”.

McAlister said: “When you have this political uncertainty, people turn to strong brands that they can trust.

“We have got 185 years of heritage. We are a very strong brand and well-trusted with a big, loyal customer base and a great network of travel agents who support us, so business is good for us.”