OPTIONS Onshore
As more customers spice up sailings with a few days ashore, it’s not surprising that the cruise-and-stay market is being seen as an increasingly lucrative growth sector. Sara Macefield reports
extra dimension for more experienced cruisers looking to try something slightly different. Lines such as Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises have been quick to exploit the potential of this market with more options for customers and easier booking methods for agents and consumers. RCI UK and Ireland associate vp and general manager Jo Rzymowska sees cruise and stay as an area she feels has strong growth potential. “It is very much in its infancy, but it is definitely an area where we can see growth opportunities. I believe cruise
N
Above; Sugar Loaf Mountain with MSC cruises; Right top, Visit the Far East with Costa Cruises; Lower right, Wizarding with Harry Potter
18 Autumn 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
ot only are cruise-and-stay packages ideal for first-time cruisers but they add an
and stay is going to be significant for us and we are looking at how we can grow it more and more.” Adding a few days at the start or end
of a cruise opens up a new range of experiences passengers can savour. From the theme parks of Florida to a Caribbean beach break to a spectacular Canadian Rockies rail ride to the exotic bustle of an Asian city, there are any number of choices now possible thanks to the huge range of voyages worldwide. Prime cruise-and-stay destinations
need to be close to established cruise embarkation/disembarkation points. They need to have a good range of hotels, varied local attractions and comprehensive air links. Florida is a popular option thanks to
its myriad attractions and convenient location as a departure point for Caribbean cruises, with sailings from various ports including Miami, Fort
Lauderdale and Port Canaveral. In Europe, Barcelona leads the field as it is a major cruise departure port; has excellent air links and the city and surrounding areas are prime tourist traps. Other potential European cruise-and-
stay contenders include Venice, Athens and Istanbul, while Rome is another strong choice as the cruise gateway of Civitavecchia is 90 minutes away. New cruise programmes have also opened up more opportunities for land stays. Take the island of Majorca, where Royal Caribbean International based Grandeur of the Seas this summer. Thomson Cruises also bases a ship
here and both companies offer one- week resort stays to complement their Palma sailings.
Far-flung stays Another blossoming cruise-and-stay spot is Dubai where the popularity of
Arabian Gulf voyages departing the city has opened up the potential for city stays before or after the sailing. In the Far East, cities such as Hong
Kong, Singapore and Bangkok brim with attractions that tempt visitors to stay for a few days, and as major cruise hubs they are natural choices as cruise-and- stay destinations. Customers opting for more exotic destinations tend to build in cruises as part of a longer stay in the region. This is a trend Princess Cruises has
seen as demand for its far-flung cruises to destinations including South America, Australasia and the Far East have grown. “We’ve had 25% growth in our exotic cruises year on year and many of those people are spending extra time in those destinations,” said head of brand marketing Pieter Van Der Schee. While Florida accounts for most of Princess’s cruise-and-stay packages,
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