Ace reveals two new expos Cruise


For the latest cruise news, visit ttgdigital.com/cruise Sophie Griffiths


THE ASSOCIATION of Cruise Experts is planning to hold two new expos this year, focused on the luxury and expedition sector. Speaking exclusively to TTG, Ace


director Andy Harmer said the events were still in the early planning stages, but that they would be held in the summer, between the two main Ace Cruise Convention dates in May and September. Harmer said the association


believed this was the right time to hold the events, as agents look to diversify their businesses. “In the downturn, agents have been finding out more about their customer base. They are interacting more with their clients, and what their clients need and want,” he said. “Travel agents want us to look


at different products to those that they are normally exposed to, and we have to respond to that. Agents want to find their own niche and offer their customers something.” “It’s exciting,” Harmer said. “Five years ago, who would have thought


One of Ace’s events will focus on the growing expedition sector


about doing a cruise expo, and now we’re running three expos in addition to the Cruise Convention.” He said agents who learn more about luxury and expedition cruises could reap the benefits, as they are typically priced higher than normal cruises, and yield higher commissions. “Expedition vessels are specialist ships with few passengers, sailing to destinations that most agents won’t have sold before. This is a sector of the industry where there is so much opportunity. We want to give agents


POST-CONCORDIA TRAGEDY Lines look to agents for sales


A NUMBER of cruise lines have launched offers in a bid to boost sales after the Concordia disaster. The lines are keen to leverage this


year’s wave season before it draws to a close at the end of February. Norwegian Cruise Line is offering


ON THE MEKONG: UK agents explored the delights of the Mekong, on Perl River Cruises’ inaugural Mekong river cruise fam trip. The group sailed from Laos to north-eastern Thailand on the 32-passenger boutique ship Mekong Explorer.


14 09.02.2012


savings of up to £200 per stateroom for agents booking between January 31 and February 16, on cruises from New York to the Bahamas. Carnival Cruise Lines has launched


its “We Love You” campaign with all deposits for Carnival Breeze reduced by 50% when agents book a Mediterranean holiday between February 1 and February 29.


Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s new campaign offers 10,000 free flights on selected cruise bookings until February 29.


Jo Rzymowska, UK general manager, said the move was a bid to boost consumer confidence. “We were always looking at a


February campaign, but we were thinking of having subsidised rather than free flights,” she said. Celebrity Cruises also has a


new campaign with trade incentives. Agents who book a cruise in the February campaign can enter an instant-win competition with prizes including spa days and champagne.


the chance to tap into that,” he said. Harmer added that the expos would be held in the UK over one or two days, with the exact locations yet to be decided. The dates also depend on which ships are visiting Britain then, so ship visits could be included. Ace will also be running its river


cruise expo in November, which it held in Amsterdam last year. This year’s venue has yet to be confirmed.


sgriffiths@ttgdigital.com


Sophie Griffiths 020 7921 8010


IN BRIEF


■WEST END COMES TO CRUISE Oceania Cruises will be offering a new Andrew Lloyd Webber show onboard Riviera, which is set to debut in May 2012. The show will feature tunes fromCats, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Josephand Jesus Christ Superstar.


■CROSS JOINS RIVER CRUISE LINE The River Cruise Line has appointed Roger Cross as a second agency sales manager to grow its trade relationship. Cross was previously head of sales for Cosmos and will cover the Midlands and the south.


■DREAM TEAM AT SILVERSEA Silversea’s new reservations team began taking calls on February 1. The line has brought in a new multi-lingual team of reservation consultants to work alongside the sales, marketing and administrative teams to meet what Silversea described as the “increasing demand of bookings”.


■SEADREAM EXPANDS HORIZONS SeaDream has introduced a newly- designed brochure to the UK. This focuses on the line’s yachting lifestyle and features the 2012-13 voyage schedule, destination information and


pricing. This year the line’s two vessels SeaDream I and SeaDream II will also sail to the Caribbean, Amazon, Black Sea and transatlantic voyages.


■FRED OLSEN LOOKS TO BELFAST Fred Olsen has revealed plans to operate a vessel out of Belfast in 2013. Boudicca will sail two itineraries – a 12-night Iberian and a two-night mini-cruise to Liverpool from Belfast in October 2013.


■TITAN CRUISE PARTNERSHIP Titan Travel has teamed up with Voyages to Antiquity to expand its programme of small ship cruise itineraries – including a series of new itineraries through the Mediterranean in summer 2012. The ship will then relocate to India and south-east Asia in late 2012 and into 2013.


FOR THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND COMMENT FROM THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, VISIT TTGDIGITAL.COM


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