Ocean Florida hails growth in cruise sales

Ocean Florida’s cruise sales have more than doubled year on year, driven by strong demand for expanded cruise-and-stay itineraries.

 

Cruise enquiries and bookings with the operator have increase by 40% and 25% since late February when the conflict in the Middle East caused travel disruption.

 

The growth comes as Ocean Florida works to “actively reshape” its fly-cruise model beyond a standard two-night pre or post-cruise stay to a fully integrated multi-centre holiday combining theme parks, villas and popular US ports, with 10 newly launched cruise-and-stay itineraries.

 

Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises are “key sellers” within the portfolio with cross-over between theme park holidays and family cruising.

 

In addition to cruising, the Florida specialist has seen strong demand for Walt Disney World Resort, with Disney holiday sales exceeding £1 million in the first 24 hours after the launch of the theme park’s free dining and drinks offer for 2027.

 

Ocean Florida saw additional success to this initial offer by providing customers with a choice of free Kennedy Space Center tickets, free Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life tickets or £200 spending money per booking based on four people travelling.

 

Matt Rains, managing director of trade sales at Ocean Florida, said: “Cruise is no longer an add-on for us, it’s a core growth pillar.

 

“We know many agents still associate Ocean Florida primarily with Orlando and the wider USA accommodation, but cruise-and-stay is now a significant part of our business and growing rapidly. 

 

“Alongside this, we’ve seen a notable uplift in demand in recent weeks, as customers increasingly look for straightforward, all-in-one holiday options.”

 

He added: “What’s really driving that growth is the shift in structure. 

 

“We’re not just packaging a couple of nights before or after a sailing, we’re building fully immersive holidays that combine the best of the US with the relaxation of a Caribbean cruise. For agents, that means a stronger story to sell and a higher overall booking value.”