Holland America Line hosts 80 agents at viewing party for ‘Supercruising’ TV series

Holland America Line hosted 80 agents at a viewing party for the ongoing Channel 4 TV series Supercruising: Life at Sea.

The series, set on the line’s Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam ships, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the experiences of passengers and crew members.

A group of agents were invited to Carnival House in Southampton to watch episode six of the eight-part series, with Captain Eric Barhorst and chef Sinu Pillai, both stars of the show, also in attendance.

Karen Farndell, associate vice-president of sales and marketing for the UK and Ireland at Holland America Line, said: “Overall the series is proving a great success, and the trade is doing a brilliant job in maximising interest and turning viewer curiosity into booking enquiries.”

Agents were welcomed to the event by the sound of a Caribbean steel drum band, setting the scene for the tone of episode six, while regional cuisine and tropical cocktails were also on offer.

The event featured a Q&A session and quiz to provide additional insight and reinforce key selling points.

Farndell said: “We’ve been blown away with the positive feedback from our travel agent partners who are watching the show, and want to thank them for all their support.

“Agents have also told us their social media posts that focus on the experiences they can see people enjoy on TV are getting strong engagement.

“Overall we’ve had a really encouraging uplift in website visits since the series began airing, and in particular with people looking at cruises to the featured destinations such as the Panama Canal, Caribbean and Canary Islands.”