READERS’ LIVES YOUR STORIES
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Travel Weekly Cover Stars 2019 is running in association with headline sponsor Norwegian Cruise Line, travel partners American Airlines and British Airways and hotel partner Gold Medal.
Matt with fellow Cover Stars David Cookson and Caroline Linton, and (right) Zoe Franklin
MATT’S TIPS
TIP 1
TIP 2
TIP 3
Do as much as you can on fam trips. There’s much more to do than just sit by the pool.
Recommend NCL’s premium food package – it’s better value for money.
Pre-book a Wi-Fi package for cruise customers as these can cost more once on board.
Q. What were your main takeaways from the trip? A. It’s been easier now to talk to customers about NCL and use what we learnt in a positive way. I think it’s quite a good multigenerational cruise line and the itineraries they do in Europe are great for couples as you can find peace and quiet but also enjoy the great entertainment.
Q. What did you think of the entertainment onboard? A. We saw a comedian who was hilarious and went to the casino one night (because you have to!) as well as a few bars and karaoke – but I’m not a great singer! We got involved in the white party and really threw ourselves into it, treating it like a holiday so we would experience what a paying passenger would, despite the VIP service. That way we really experienced it and can better sell it.
Q. How was the food on the ship? A. They upgraded us to the specialist dining product, which was great, as sometimes you might fancy a nice steak or fish that may not be on the main restaurant menu. The steak restaurant was incredible and I had an amazing filet. I’m blown away every time I cruise by the quality of the food. I would recommend selling customers the specialist dinner packages. It means you have some additional nice restaurants to choose from and, rather than pay the cover charge, you pay upfront.
Matt on . . . East of England Co-operative and his career I’ve been in the industry for nearly 20 years now. I previously worked for smaller co-ops, Thomas Cook and some OTAs. I love working for the independents, I think it’s a better model as it’s more about what the customer wants, and you can sell a wider range of operators. You’re not targeting your own product, like some of the multiples, and I think it’s a great way to treat customers – it’s all about them. I’m based in Tiptree in Essex, the village where the jam is made, and there’s four of us in the store. It’s located within an Asda supermarket, so we get a lot of footfall and do a lot of work in the community including raffles and prize draws for charity. This was a very VIP trip and I’ve been very lucky as a travel agent to have been on trips to Dubai, Las Vegas and smaller trips to Majorca (which was a great opportunity to see hotels you sell a lot).
in association with
4 April 2019
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