P&O Cruises has paid tribute to the role of travel agents in its “phenomenal” success during 2023, as it unveiled its consumer offers and trade incentive for the wave period.
As part of its ‘Holiday Like Never Before’ campaign, the cruise line is offering extra onboard spending money when they book an applicable Select Price holiday by March 4, 2024.
Passengers can also receive 20% off the Classic drinks package on-board price of £44.95 per person, per day, when they book an applicable Select Price or Early Saver holiday by March 4, 2024. Standard agent commission will be applicable to the drinks package promotion.
Agents who make a Select Price booking with Shine Rewards Club between December 18 and December 28 will be entered into a prize draw to win one of 10 exclusive drink hampers.
A 10% deposit is available on applicable Select Price and Early Saver holidays, and extra flights to the Caribbean from Glasgow and Cardiff have also been added.
Rob Scott, P&O Cruises vice-president for brand, marketing and sales, said: “We started this year with 40%-plus capacity growth. We’ve had a phenomenal year in terms of filling [new ship] Arvia, Iona and the rest of the fleet.”
He added: “It has been great to see this year pay off in terms of agent engagement.
“We’ve had more than 1,000 agents on our ship visit programme and an increase of 66% year on year in the redemption of Shine rewards through our scheme. It shows that is working.
“We’ve had more than 100 travel agents take their own holidays with this. It shows the strength of the brand and the passion.”
He said the membership of the Shine rewards club has returned to pre-pandemic levels and there has been “high engagement” with training events.
The cruise line saw a “strong” wave period at the start of this year and listened to agent feedback as it developed the offering for this new wave campaign.
“We have more investment in our wave this year than ever before. It really helps drive footfall into agents,” he said, pointing to highlights such as a new ad making its debut on Christmas Day prime time television.
“The TV ad is filmed in ‘bullet time’, a really unique filmic style. It focuses on that moment, almost an epiphany, when the guest realises what an extraordinary holiday P&O Cruises is,” he said.
“And cinema is another way we are taking our brand into new places to get people to think again about P&O Cruises. It is an immersive experience.
“It gives agents reassurance that we continue to have absolute focus and trust in the UK market and the opportunity to build on the success of 2023.”
He said the recent launch of 2025-2026 sailings was “another success”, adding: “We booked more guests in the first morning than we did in the previous launch.
“It shows huge confidence in the recovery of cruise but also from our guests in the strength of our product and the trust in the brand.
“We enter 2024-25 better booked than we’ve ever been, which is great news for us and great news for agents as well.
He said agents have also done “an incredible job” of converting new-to-cruise holidaymakers, thanks in part to events such as the Clia conference, where the cruise line hosted 400-plus agents on its new vessel Arvia in May.
“Once they see the product they really understand and can trust what they’re selling their guests,” he said.
“Early in the new year Ruth [Venn, sales director] will talk about expanding our fam trip programme.
“We will also have Iona supporting the Clia conference, so we’re very excited about that.
“Ship visits will be a core part of our proposition for agents and virtual ship visits will continue. Face-to-face and online training work really well for us.”
January will also see the premiere of Schhh on Iona, a show created by Arvia’s godmother, the pop star Nicole Scherzinger.
“It is a spectacular experience across a couple of hours in the SkyDome on Iona and Arvia,” said Scott.
The cruise line will also host agents again at the Bafta Television awards in May.
Scott said the cruise line remains confident that the success seen in 2023 will continue in 2024, as consumers are prioritising their disposable expenditure on leisure travel.
“That holiday wallet is being protected above other day-to-day spend, and consumer confidence is back up,” he added.
Picture of Arvia by by James D Morgan/P&O Cruises