The UK and EMEA boss of Seabourn has hailed the sales efforts of travel agent partners, especially with the line’s two new purpose-built expedition ships.
Its first, Seabourn Venture, was launched in 2022, and was followed by Seabourn Pursuit in 2023.
Lynn Narraway, Seabourn’s UK and EMEA vice-president, said: “UK sales are going really well for 2024; we are about 25% up on 2023.
“Expedition this year is selling particularly well. The trade have certainly got behind us this year.
“It went a bit quiet before the elections but since July 4, we’re back to where we were earlier in the year.”
She said the two ships initially attracted existing Seabourn passengers who wanted expedition cruises but are now also winning over new-to-cruise clients and holidaymakers in the luxury market who see that the only way to explore destinations such as Antarctica, the Arctic, the Amazon and Kimberley in Australia is by ship.
Narraway said the month of June was dedicated to expedition training “which has been fantastic”.
“We’ve had nearly four 450 travel agents joining our webinars and they have been very successful,” she told Travel Weekly.
“We’ve done a lot of ship visits and virtual videos and we’ve got the travel agents doing blogs and videos. It has been fabulous.”
The dedicated month also gave participating agents the chance to win a spot on an Arctic cruise next summer.
Furthermore, Seabourn took part in Clia’s first expedition cruise summit on Seabourn Venture in May to help “bust myths” about the sector.
“Lots of agents were very keen to learn about expedition and how they could grow that that side of the business,” she said.
“We tend to describe Seabourn’s expeditions as ‘incredible ultra-luxury adventures to some of the world’s most rarely visited destinations – not just the polar regions, but warm weather experiences in the South Pacific, Amazon and Australia’s Kimberley.”
Seabourn joined the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) in April to boost awareness of its expedition cruises among agents in the adventure sector, and its team will be at social events and the annual Atas conference later this year.
The cruise line also sponsored the opening entertainment at the Agent Achievement Awards (AAAs) in London on Thursday (July 11).
It brought along Bradley Jaden and the Barricade Boys to showcase the West End-style shows that can be seen on Seabourn’s ocean ships.
“We love the AAAs because there are so many travel agents. We got two tables there – it is very exciting,” she added.
The AAAs ceremony was also the first opportunity for Tom Andrews, the new UK and EMEA sales director, to meet agents since he began the role on July 1.
“He is very excited to be part of Seabourn and brings a wealth of experience from his time at Cunard and P&O Cruises,” said Narraway.
“He is busy putting together a road trip to go and meet all our partners over the next few months.”
She added: “Nearly 90% of our business is through the trade. We’ve always committed to working with and supporting travel partners; they are absolutely vital to our business.”
Another recent trade initiative promoted the benefits of group bookings, which can cater to multigenerational family groups, affinity groups, or groups of friends or colleagues.
She suggested agents could handpick suitable guests from their database and then host the group as they would qualify for a free tour conductor place.
Narraway also recalled how she became the ‘madrina’ for Seabourn Pursuit in April 2023, during a ceremony as part of its construction.
The ship was officially named earlier this month by the traditional Aboriginal owners of north Kimberley.
The ceremony was conducted by the Wunambal Gaambera people at Ngula Jar Island, with passengers on Zodiac boats alongside the ship and the onboard team lined up along the decks.
Seabourn and Tourism Western Australia have made donations to assist Wunambal Gaambera’s development of tourism facilities and products.
Narraway said the Wunambal Gaambera people make shell sculptures and gave some as gifts to guests and team members.
The naming was also marked by Seabourn in the UK, as the cruise line held an Australian barbecue for its staff and those from sister Carnival brands such as P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line.