p10-11 Ace Jun 26 24/6/09 20:43 Page 10
news conference report
ttglive.com
UK Cruise Convention 2009
Trade Media Partner
June 17-19 ■ Dover
More than 600 delegates attended ship visits,
seminars and more at Ace’s third convention, in
Dover. Lee Hayhurst and Robin Searle report
P&O acclaims ‘10%’ offer
SALES SEMINAR.
‘Sell the dream to
Lee Hayhurst.
sale – but not to the detriment of travel agents.
P&O CRUISES’ move to double its online direct “The risk on those beds sits with the cruise
new customers’
discount to 10% on selected cruises has seen an lines. If we have got empty beds we need to do
uplift in agent sales for those cruises, the line what we need to do to stimulate the market.”
has claimed. Hawke said Complete Cruise Solution was
TRAVEL agents should be looking to grow the UK Giles Hawke, Complete Cruise Solution sales spending more on co-operative marketing than
cruise business by focusing on the new-to-cruise director, said the move had also shifted direct ever before, and offering more and better deals.
market, a leading retailer told the convention. bookers from its call centre to its website. He said the lates market was really picking up
Speaking in a session on the Future of P&O Cruises increased the discount on certain and was “better than expected and better than
Cruising, Virgin Cruise Holidays managing cruises for which sales were not as healthy as we need it to be”.
director Robin Deller said agents should be required and on which agents can access bonus Complete Cruise Solution will continue to
selling the dream of a cruise holiday. commission. focus on late sales for up to the next nine months,
Deller, whose company specialises in Florida Hawke said: “We have seen hardly any Hawke said, but was about to start looking fur-
cruises, cruise-and-stay holidays and the increase in direct bookings, but our direct ther out with the launch of 2010-11 world cruises.
new-to-cruise market, said agents had to move bookings have increased online versus the call July will see an emphasis on the Caribbean
the conversation on from price. centre. Plus, we have seen an uplift in sales for this winter with a programme of agent-focused
He also suggested agents should be careful those cruises overall. promotional activity.
about how they talk to non-cruise customers, as “It has stimulated the marketplace. On all Hawke said ships were still sailing full and
describing ships’ big capacities could make them those cruises we wanted to stimulate the rate of yields were “marginally” down year-on-year.
sound claustrophobic.
Lynn Narraway, Carnival Cruise Line’s UK
managing director, said passion and enthusiasm
TICKETING.
were the key to selling cruise, and agents should
ensure their staff have these qualities. Princess Cruises starts e-ticketing
She said: “Are you employing the right people?
Will the consumer buy from your people?” COMPLETE Cruise Solution is starting e-ticketing director, said the move would save agents and
Narraway said agents needed to tap into their this week, beginning with a soft launch for the line money and give agents added selling op-
databases by offering cruises to customers even Princess Cruises. portunities.
before they had thought of buying one. The trade marketing arm for P&O Cruises, Hawke said agents could choose to download
Peter Shanks, Carnival UK’s chief financial Cunard, Ocean Village and Princess Cruises customers’ tickets and send them on email with
officer, said agents should never assume that of- hopes to have full e-ticketing available for any other documents they wish to attach.
fers lines were putting in the market were not all brands by the autumn, and a move to 100% Complete Cruise Solution intends to move to
also available to them. e-documents within a year. all e-ticketing as quickly as possible, but will
Princess was chosen for the soft launch, retain the ability to send printed tickets to direct
Catch the convention online: For full and
during which time tickets will continue to be sent customers who are not able to print documents.
unrivalled news, views and pictures coverage of
out, because the line already has e-ticketing The sales agency will move into new
the UK Cruise Convention – including videos of
technology in the US. “paperless” offices in Southampton in July.
ship visits by Travel TV –
For P&O Cruises and Cunard the capability is Hawke said reducing the environmental
go to ttglive.com/ukcc
being built from scratch. impact was a welcome consequence of moving
Giles Hawke, Complete Cruise Solution sales to e-ticketing rather than the main motivation.
10 26.06.2009
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