FEATURE RIVER CRUISING
Rhine and Danube. Agents selling eWaterways can take advantage of its loyalty scheme until October 31, which rewards bookings with points that go towards Experience Days, including spa treatments or Ferrari track days. All this extra competition means river cruising is raising its profile with consumers through advertising, while several companies have set up dedicated trade departments and joined the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE) to raise their profile – and sales – among agents. Half of APT’s bookings come through agents, the same as at Shearings and Viking, which set up a dedicated trade call centre last year and has a busy programme of ship visits in Amsterdam and Paris planned for this year. Avalon Waterways managing director
Alan MacLean said: “We are working with ACE on a series of initiatives including regional cruise expos and
Left: One of Viking's new 'longboats' on the Rhine; Above from left: Uniworld's luxury lounge on Amsterdam; eWaterways's Royal Crown sailing the Danube; Enjoying the view from APT's Amabello
trade communications via a monthly mailbag to more than 2,000 agents.” Avalon was one of six river cruise companies that used the trade fair at the ACE Cruise Convention in Southampton ito promote their products and get closer to agents. The first ever Amsterdam ACE river
cruise expo in November will be open to agents who have reached ACE Ambassador level. They will get the chance to visit vessels operated by AmaWaterways, APT, Elegant River Cruises, the Titan HiTours brand that sells Uniworld exclusively through the trade in the UK, and Shearings. ACE director Flo Powell said: “ACE
now has seven river members and we are working together to increase agent knowledge.” Among new ACE members are Avalon, AmaWaterways and eWaterways. Powell said: “We will be launching an online map so agents can see the wide and exciting range of river cruise destinations along with operator details. We also have plans for online product training courses from APT, Avalon Waterways and Shearings.”
Swan doubles for 2012
Swan Hellenic has doubled river cruise capacity to 10 departures in 2012, up from five this year, all for eight nights and all on river cruise vessels chartered for exclusive departures from German river cruise company A’Rosa. There are six on the Rhône and
Saône in France, sailing between Arles and Lyon, two on the Danube, cruising between Budapest and Passau, and one on the Rhine, roundtrip from Cologne. A new Moselle and Rhone cruise
sails round-trip from Rüdesheim and includes visits to Cochem, Trier, Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne. Prices start from £1,750 per person including flights, transfers, shore excursions and gratuities. Rail travel from London is
available as an alternative to flying on all Rhône and Rhine cruises.
www..swanhellenic.com
www.sellinglonghaul.com • June 2011 73
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