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Last week two cruise lines, Voyages of Discovery and Crystal Cruises, ran ship visits for agents and customers. Sophie Griffiths joined them on MV Discovery in Harwich and Crystal Symphony in Dover to find out if a day onboard can also boost business
sgriffiths@ttglive.com
Sophie Griffiths 020 7921 8010
MV Discovery lets visitors wave farewell to guides and make their own way around the ship
customers have a look at what’s on offer for themselves. Many agents do note a significant rise in business after a visit, and one on last week’s visits thought it was the best way to bring people back to cruising after the recession. But many lines charge agents to take part, and
with every day out of the office meaning poten- tially lost bookings, agencies need to think carefully about whether ship visits will really be time well spent.
20 03.09.2010
Agents get to sea it for themselves S
hip visits are intended to increase sales by making agents understand the product better and letting
Guides on Crystal Symphony can be useful for answering customer queries
Ship visits on Crystal Cruises are held purely for agents and customers, and include a lunch and drinks, at a cost of £25, which agents pay or sometimes charge back to their clients.
The first question to consider is what is actually going to happen on the day.
What happens? It might sound like a stupid question, but
ship tours do vary according to line, both in cost and who turns up. Some hold days specifically for the trade, but both Voyages of Discovery and Crystal Cruises encourage agents and their customers to jump onboard. Voyages allows the general public on its ship visits, but charges £20 for the privilege. This does however get them a three-course lunch, and the money is refunded if they make a booking with the line within 12 months.
Mundy Cruising’s Emma Brolly enjoys the lounge on Crystal Symphony
Guided tours or self-exploration? Unlike most other cruise companies, Voyages lets guests work their own way around the vessel, rather than being escorted by a guide. Some agents say this type of visit can be much more beneficial for their customers. “Allowing customers to look around the ship on their own can be really helpful,” says Warren Dachtler, Style Cruises’s managing director. “People can head straight for the cabins that they want to check out, and not bother with ones that they wouldn’t want to stay in. Or they can just head for the areas that they are most interested in.” Shearings’ national sales manager, Michael Bowers, agrees: “The fact that people can do their own self-guided tours
DOUBLE SHIP VISIT
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