p26 cruise ukcc jan23 20/1/09 17:08 Page 26
news convention preview
ttglive.com
UK Cruise Convention 2009
In association with
June 17-19, 2009 ■ Dover
Luxury cruising will be a key feature of this summer’s three-day Ace convention,
with a break-out session and a Crystal Cruises ship in port. By Lee Hayhurst
Crystal to showcase
In numbers Crystal Symphony
Symphony in Dover
LUXURY operator Crystal Cruises, which will
have Crystal Symphony at this year’s UK Cruise Crystal Symphony is one of four ships
Convention in Dover, is hoping all 450 agent due in Dover for the UK Cruise Convention
delegates will opt to see the ship. ■ 480 outside view suites, 276 with
Sophie Higgins, the line’s UK sales and market- private balcony
ing director, revealed it was given permission to ■ Passenger to crew ratio is 1.7 to 1
delay passengers boarding on June 20 to allow ■ Two pools, one with a retractable roof
time for agents to experience the ship first-hand. ■ Entered service in March 1995
Although ships visits are optional this year, she
said she thought the chance to see a luxury ship
would be a major attraction for the Ace delegates.
“For luxury cruising it’s amazing to be able to
In brief
showcase our product. We are planning to have
two embarkations for delegates, with the second ■ Silversea offers bonus commission to agents
one staying on for lunch,” she said. Crystal Symphony will be in Dover on the final day Silversea is offering agents 5% bonus commission
“The head office in LA realises the importance for bookings made before February 28 for 2009
of the UK travel trade and how we have really their first Crystal cruise was about belief and departures on Prince Albert II. The 132-passenger
grown our business over the last five years.” she hoped agents will take that away from the ship will sail in the Arctic and Antarctica this year.
Crystal Symphony is due to be in port on the three-day convention. silversea.com
convention’s final day, having sailed from the “Every agent has the potential to book a
Mediterranean before it starts its Baltic cruises. luxury cruise customer,” Higgins added. ■ Windstar extends promotion by a month
Higgins said the largest single agent visit on a Windstar Cruises has extended its special promo-
Crystal ship previously had been 90 agents. ■ To register for the UK Cruise Convention, tion for new Mediterranean group bookings so
She said for many agents the key to selling go to ukcruiseconvention.org that it ends on February 28 and not January 31.
Groups of six customers are also entitled to a
Frozen dollar rate boosts sales
free place for one of those customers.
020 7292 2387
A PROMISING start to 2009 sales is helping Higgins said: “I’m really pleased with how the ■ Crystal Cruises returns to Alaska with Serenity
Crystal Cruises maintain prices, according to first couple of weeks of this year have gone. Crystal Cruises will have a ship in Alaska this year
sales and marketing director Sophie Higgins. “We have quite a lot of pent-up demand and we for the first time since 2005. The line is offering a
Its new year promotion for UK customers is have had some really good high-value bookings.” single early-season itinerary departing Yokohama
guaranteeing brochure prices by pegging the Crystal has taken a number of bookings up to on April 16, lasting 22 nights onboard Crystal
dollar-pound exchange rate to $1.90 – despite it £40,000 in value, Higgins said, but she added Serenity. Prices are from £7,386. Celebrity guest
having fallen to $1.45. that customers with lots of money were looking lecturer will be actor Richard Dreyfuss.
The “Save Now Save Later” offer applies to for value and booking late. crystalcruises.com
customers who have paid their deposit and pay “They are prepared to pay but they want to
in full by February 27, and for new bookings make sure they have got really good value,” she
ttglive.com
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paid in full by that date. said. ttgluxury go to ttgluxury.com
26 23.01.2009
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