horizon i
Wondering how to restore confidence in cruise? Laura French speaks to the specialists for advice on how to reassure clients, plus their tips for trends in 2021
t’s hard to beat waking up to a new view every day, sunlight streaming in as the waves bob gently beneath your balcony, or sipping a pina colada on an open deck as the sky blazes pink and peach above the ocean. Which is probably why cruise lines across the board are reporting strong demand for the latter half of 2021 and 2022. But with ongoing uncertainty around what to expect next year, not all clients will be as easily sold, so how do you reassure those feeling less confident about setting sail? We’ve spoken to some of the key lines and cruise specialists to find out what you can say to clients and how you can keep your finger on the pulse of key cruise trends.
^
travelweekly.co.uk
“DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF BEING IN A BUBBLE ON BOARD A SHIP” Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Cruising, says:
When it comes to reassuring customers, it’s important to be on top of the ways in which the
the new protocols. You need to be able to compare these experiences to what your client might find if they were to choose an alternative form of travel, and demonstrate the benefits of being in a bubble on board a ship. It’s also worth highlighting the longer-term advantages that are likely to come out of this. We will probably see more extensive shore excursion programmes with a greater range of pricing, and there will be a greater focus on decarbonisation with new fuels, technologies and collaboration between cruise lines, shipyards, ports and destinations. The ships will be even cleaner than before, and enhanced technology will speed up the practicalities. We are also likely to see more calls away from the crowds, meaning exciting, off-the-beaten-track itineraries.”²
10 DECEMBER 2020
DESTINATIONS REASSURING CLIENTS | CRUISE
cruise industry has risen to the Covid challenge. It’s an amazing success story, with the cruise industry having proactively stayed one step ahead of the legislation and emerged as a leader in safe and responsible travel, and we need to articulate that. It’s vital you learn as much as possible about
35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
