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selling tips Cruise
smaller ports of call such as Virgin
Gorda, Nevis and Anguilla.
Moving on to Latin America,
Princess Cruises’ Star Princess sails
from Valparaiso to Rio de Janeiro. It
traverses the Chilean fjords, rounds
Cape Horn and explores the Falkland
Islands. MSC’s Latin American
programme is quite affordable.
In the Far East Azamara Cruises’
Azamara Quest sails out of Tianjin in
China, visits Seoul, Hiroshima, Busan,
Shanghai and finishes in Hong Kong.
Royal Caribbean has round-trips from
Shanghai on Legend of the Seas, stop-
ping in Taiwan.
Not many cruise ships get out as far
as the South Pacific but once there
clients are rewarded with some of the
most idyllic cruising scenery in the
world. Regent Seven Seas Cruises’
not book a cruise to the Arctic and For Alaska, NCL offers a round-trip Paul Gauguin sails French Polynesia
experience the midnight sun. from Vancouver, taking in Ketchikan, year-round and Star Clippers’ Star
Crystal Cruises has an interesting Juneau and Skagway. Cruise West tours Flyer also operates in the region.
transatlantic voyage onboard Crystal Alaska with small ships. A cruise from World cruises are a good way to
Symphony. This departs from Dover, Seattle to Juneau includes humpback visit far-flung destinations. You don’t
and crosses the ocean via Scotland, whale-watching in Frederick Sound, a have to book the whole voyage, you
Iceland, Nuuk in Greenland and arrives body of water which isn’t accessible for can just book shorter segments. Fred
in Boston. It’s a different way of crossing larger ships. Olsen Cruise Lines, Cunard, Holland
the Atlantic other than the tried-and- In the Caribbean, the exclusive America Line, P&O and Crystal
tested Southampton-New York route. SeaDream Yacht Club takes in much Cruises all offer world cruises.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises operates one of the charge. Prime 7 steakhouses (pictured,
world’s best cruise ships, Europa, the only right) have now joined the Cordon Bleu
one awarded five-stars-plus by Berlitz. Signature restaurants on each Regent ship.
Selling German product in the UK is not Not everyone can afford these top-end
easy, but with Hapag-Lloyd’s help The lines, but there are some others that
Cruise People has begun advertising in deliver a particularly good product. One
upmarket publications. is Oceania Cruises, connected to Regent
Hapag-Lloyd’s expedition ships, through common ownership. For those that
Hanseatic and Bremen are an easier sell aspire to luxury but can’t quite afford it,
as destinations help, particularly the Oceania’s boutique-size ships offer fares that
Antarctic. Hapag-Lloyd, an associate are neither mass-market nor ultra-luxury
member of the Leading Cruise Agents, is – a sort of club class as opposed to first.
keen to develop more UK business. The battle of the smaller ultra-luxury
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is another lines has seen Yachts of Seabourn
excellent product, particu- (pictured, left) for years
larly as it now includes claim to be that much multi-veranda ship when it takes
unlimited shore excursions better than Silversea delivery of the new Seabourn Odyssey
in many of its offerings. Cruises. in June, while Silversea’s new Silver
What was already “all-inclu- But Silversea has the Spirit follows in December.
sive” has become even more upper hand with its SeaDream Yacht Club, meanwhile,
so. While Crystal is not verandas as its ships has “mega-yachts”. These are the
all-inclusive, Regent fares were designed after smallest, at 112 guests. Marvellous for
include port taxes, gratuities Seabourn’s, by the same open decks, Balinese sun beds and the
and wines and spirits and firm of naval architects. Top of the Yacht bar, as well as a great
the line offers alternative Seabourn, however, array of watersports, they attract a
restaurants at no extra receives its first new younger crowd.
TTG Knowledge – March 2009
31
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