A Princess Cruises ship in Alaska
Agents urged to tap into special offers and social media for Plan a Cruise Month
Travel agents are being urged to give their full support to Plan a Cruise Month in October. Clia UK & Ireland is
n, says Clia
“It’s the language agents use – don’t tell clients they are cruising until the end of the conversation”
personalised excursions. She said: “We are seeing discerning guests looking for private journeys or small group trips for personalised experiences.”
Knowledge bank
Agents should use their knowledge of destinations their clients like to stimulate their interest and not mention the word cruise until later in the sales process, said Narraway. “It’s about the language agents
use,” she said. “They can turn it back to front by not telling their customers they are cruising until the end of the conversation. “The way for agents to grow
their cruise business is by using knowledge they have about clients and destinations they go to. If
they booked someone to South Africa last year, suggest Australia next year and tell them they can go to all these places and all the food’s included.” Similarly, agent knowledge of
their clients’ needs is vital for booking them on the right ship. Rzymowska said: “If a new-to-
cruise client is put on the wrong ship you have lost them for life, but book them on the right ship and they are hooked.”
Cruise terminology
Beadle admitted the industry can sometimes hinder itself by using technical language when promoting ocean and river cruises. Leven agreed, saying: “We use complicated language and we need to get better at that.” Beadle added: “If you are selecting a cruise line, you select it like a hotel and destination. “That’s why it’s important that
agents are aware of where they can go to get information on what
cruise lines can offer. › Comment, page 36
Ho Chi Minh City will host the Asia Cruise Conference 2018
encouraging agent members to use this year’s ‘destination’ theme as a way to promote the special offers available to clients for cruises worldwide. As well as offers from Clia’s cruise line members, there will also be agent competitions and incentives throughout the month, with prizes ranging from shopping vouchers and designer handbags to iPads and places on fam trips. Agents can also get involved in the campaign on social media by sharing top tips and photos or joining a cruise destination-themed chat on Twitter, hosted by Clia. Andy Harmer, senior vice-
president of membership and director, Clia UK & Ireland, said: “Plan a Cruise Month is an opportunity for the whole cruise industry to work together to highlight the incredible holidays our industry offers. “By focusing on destinations,
we showcase all the places and experiences we offer ashore. “As an agent it’s about making that switch to talk about the
destination and ask people to come on a cruise. “We’re calling on our agent partners to get involved with promoting Plan a Cruise Month by highlighting the experiences a cruise can offer.” The cruise destination
Twitter chat takes place on Wednesday, October 11, from 1pm-6pm. Agents can tweet @CLIAUK using #CruiseMonth and be in with a chance to win Amazon vouchers for taking part, courtesy of Clia, as well as finding out more about top cruise destinations. All of the major cruise lines have pledged to take part in the Twitter discussion. Agents are also invited
to share their top tips or destinations online for the chance to win an ‘Andy says I’m a Cruise Guru’ T-shirt. Clia is also offering an
early-bird rate for agents who book in October to attend the 12th Clia Conference 2018, while registration opens next month for the Asia Cruise Conference in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2018. › To find out more about Plan a Cruise Month incentives and competitions, go to:
cruiseexperts.org
28 September 2017
travelweekly.co.uk 13
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