p22 cruise jan16 13/1/09 17:08 Page 22
Cruise
Lee Hayhurst
020 7921 8001
lhayhurst@ttglive.com
For the latest cruise news, visit
ttglive.com/cruise
Sales revival could
rein in discounting
Lee Hayhurst.
“We had a really encouraging week last week.
TENTATIVE signs of a pick-up in cruise sales in There seems to be a significant level of demand
January could help firm up prices and scale back out there,” he said. “Our belief is we have gone
some of the heaviest discounting. out with really attractive prices and although
According to industry sources, big-volume there is competition, travel agents do not need
agents with access to lines’ bonus commissions to add to that to get customers to buy.”
were giving away up to 20% in before Christmas. However, Ian Gilder director of Jetline Cruise,
MIDLANDS CO-OP RECRUITS: Midlands These discounts are on top of aggressive price accused lines of shooting themselves in the
Co-op Travel has appointed two dedicated promotions which lines themselves are offering foot by reducing prices so much, and agents of
cruise advisers. Mike Powell and Karen in the annual turn of year sales push. exacerbating the problem.
Harold have almost 60 years’ industry Heavy discounting was blamed for a series of “This happened after September 11: people
experience between them. Powell will be incidents involving passengers on a P&O Cruises panicked. If you offer a low price, customers will
responsible for Midlands Co-op’s trading Ventura sailing in the Caribbean over New Year. come back next year expecting the same. People
in the north and west, while Harold will Reports in the national press this week blamed are scared to make money in this business.”
develop business in the south and east. cheap late deals for attracting a more raucous Lee Harrison, Select World Travel retail man-
batch of customers among the 3,000 passengers. ager, said he would have had to give away 4.5%
The line said it had received two written complaints. as well as his commission to match a quote a
In brief
Giles Hawke, Complete Cruise Solution sales customer had from Bolsover Cruise Club.
director, denied prices were “rock-bottom” but said
the focus was on offering the best price possible. ■ Letters, p34
■ Cyplon offers cruise packages from Athens
Cyplon Holidays has released
it first standalone package
holiday cruise brochure for
Queen Mary 2 to
the Mediterranean. The
programme offers flights
sail around UK
from UK regional airports to
Athens. Packages start at £595 CUNARD’S Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner
and include flights, transfers to ever built, celebrated its fifth birthday this week
a five-star hotel at the port of Piraeus, transfers and will mark the occasion with a round UK
to a Louis Cruise Lines ship and a full-board cruise this October.
cruise. Transfers from the ship back to the Athens Since the ship was officially named by the
airport at the end of the cruise are also included. Queen in January 2004 before its inaugural
sailing on the 12th of that month, it has sailed
■ Peter Deilmann sells through Saga Holidays 750,000 nautical miles, including 104 Atlantic
Peter Deilmann Cruises has agreed a deal with crossings.
direct-sell giant Saga Holidays to sell its cruises The UK “lap of honour” will depart from
in 2009. The agreement applies to cruises on Southampton on October 10 and will feature
the Seine and Elbe rivers. Stuart Perl, managing maiden calls in Greenock and Liverpool – ports
director of Peter Deilmann, said: “Joining forces that have close historical ties with Cunard.
with a leading travel brand gives us the Carol Marlow, Cunard president and managing
opportunity to take our luxury five-star river director, said: “We are very proud of our flagship
cruise product to a new and wider audience.” and her achievements since she entered service
and this is an important anniversary.”
ttglive.com
For the very latest cruise news, Transatlantic lead-in fares on Queen Mary 2 Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 will mark its fifth
visit
ttglive.com/cruise
are currently £699 in the “Cunard Sale”. anniversary with a sailing around Britain in October
22 16.01.2009
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