In association with: Online Travel Training
Set a new year’s resolution to become a cruise expert with Online Travel Training’s New to Cruise initiative
It’s the start of the year and there’s no better time to fill gaps in your industry knowledge. For 2025, Online Travel Training (OTT) has added New to Cruise to its roster of informative courses.
This initiative helps agents sell the cruise market, with foundational courses tailored to everyone, and covers all types of cruising, including ocean, river, luxury and expedition. There is also a new skills course, Introduction to Selling Cruise Holidays, created by Clia.
There’s no time to waste – it’s the perfect way to expand your knowledge and make cruise sales a cornerstone of your business. Best of all, New to Cruise and OTT’s many other categories offer a range of great prizes for completing each course.
Current prizes include travel accessories from Lufthansa, a one-week holiday to Bastia with Visit Corsica and Amazon vouchers with Holland America.
Mary Poole from East of England Co-operative Travel was the lucky winner of an Ambassador Cruise Line sailing in OTT’s 12 days of Christmas, who said “‘Winning a prize from Ambassador was a lovely surprise to start the year with!”
Find out more at onlinetraveltraining.com/uk/prizes
New-to-cruise courses not to miss
Introduction to Selling Cruise Holidays by Clia – Features modules on cruise inclusions, identifying new‑to‑cruise clients and common cruising concerns.
Ambassador Cruise Line – Discover how Ambassador can take clients on their dream cruise, with modules on the line’s ships, the onboard experience and ways to book.
Carnival Cruise Line – Find out about Carnival’s fun‑filled cruises in modules about the line’s destinations, fleet, staterooms, entertainment and dining options.
Hebridean Island Cruises – Cruising Scotland’s Highlands and islands is just the start of an adventure with Hebridean Island Cruises, whose course covers its three sleek ships and exciting itineraries.
Hurtigruten – Send clients on a Norwegian adventure with confidence, thanks to information on the line’s voyages, sustainability credentials and excursions.
HX – For an insight into expedition cruising with HX, modules explore where clients can go with HX and the best way to sell cruises.
Marella Cruises – This course offers essential insights into Marella Cruises’ fleet and itineraries.
Scenic Group – Dive into Scenic’s five-star cruises in Europe and southeast Asia on this course, which is combined with modules on Emerald Cruises, which offers small-ship voyages along the Mekong and in Europe.
Silversea – Agents can become Silversea experts in no time, thanks to modules about the line’s destinations, fleet, the onboard experience and what to expect from its all-inclusive model.
Spotlight on AE Expeditions
AE Expeditions, part of Aurora Expeditions, whisks clients away on adventures of a lifetime to destinations such as Antarctica, Asia and Central America. Its small ships and 100% climate-neutral model are perfect for eco-conscious clients. This course uncovers what to expect on each ship, AE’s Citizen Science programme and co-branded marketing opportunities.
Enhancing your cruise sales expertise
“Since joining OTT as managing director late last year, I’ve been impressed by travel agents’ enthusiasm for professional development. Our 12 Days of Christmas campaign saw unprecedented engagement, with cruise training emerging as particularly popular among our members.
It is this success that has inspired our New to Cruise launch. To get you started, here’s an exciting chance to boost your cruise sales and to win a prize. Just complete three essential courses by February 28 – Clia Selling Cruise Skills Training plus any two cruise line partner courses – and you could win one of three £50 Red Letter Day vouchers. This year, OTT is promising even more innovations to support your business growth – so stay tuned for updates that will help you maximise your selling potential.”
Jessica Shelton-Agar, managing director, OTT
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