NEWS
Samuel Griffiths, Cruise1st
James Barker, Iglu Cruise
Caitlin O’Neill, Travelbag
Zoe Toogood, Fred Olsen Travel
SPECIAL REPORT Gemma Webster,
Bolsover Cruise Club
Shanghai took all the stress away. They were amazing.” Ben: “We’re re-engineering, redesigning and remarketing our tours in every destination for English- speaking guests. A lot of what we offer currently is not fit for our young, energetic, curious clients, so we’re overhauling them with the help of Wendy Wu Tours. By the start of 2026, we will be offering new tours in every destination we visit. We have to do a better job of exciting our guests.” Kieran: “Well-curated experiences are a must in the region. In the Med, people are happy to wander off and do their own thing, but here they need some support.”
Spectrum of the Seas Peter: “It was one of the quickest boarding times I’ve ever experienced getting on a cruise ship.” Ben: “From pavement to on board, Royal Caribbean is the fastest, hands-down. And if you do The Key [an add-on, optional programme of benefits], it’s super-slick. For the UK guest, if they’ve come this far, then they can probably afford the [extra] $50-$60 for that perk.” Peter: “We’ve been so well looked after on Spectrum – the hospitality,
Lisa Harrold, Murray Travel
the attention to detail. The crew have been incredible.” James: “The Silk Road show was incredible. Anyone who knows me knows I’m likely to skip the shows and go to the bar, but I watched the whole thing and it was brilliant.”
Target audience Ben: “This is a great cruising region. Even in the winter, it’s sunny in Shanghai, just a little fresher. It’s warm year-round in Okinawa. There is real demand for and interest in this region. We had one agent do a post about a flexible independent travel itinerary, which got reposted by her Hays colleagues, and they eventually sent 600 people on a sailing.” Peter: “A Shanghai cruise is exotic. It comes with great bragging rights. The ship is great for families, and Chinese children are really well behaved, so that shouldn’t put couples off.” Ruth: “Combining a cruise on Spectrum with special events and festivals is a good idea. You could package it with the Shanghai Masters, which will be in the third week in October next year; the Formula 1 from March 13 to 15; Golden Week – a huge Chinese festival rich in culture – in the first week of October;
Megan Carter, Sandy Lane Travel
or Chinese New Year, which will be some time in February. And then there’s Shanghai Disney, or other Chinese cities like Beijing.” Laura: “I think event add-ons, particularly sports like the Shanghai Masters or the Formula 1, are great opportunities to target couples or small groups. That’s what I’ll be doing.” Lisa: “I’m definitely going to lean into the Formula 1. We already have a database for Formula 1, so we will be targeting that with a sailing.” Kieran: “I’m really going to target millennials. There’s just so much content all over Instagram and TikTok about Shanghai, and I think that generation would be really interested in coming out here and experiencing what we have.” Sam: “I think it’s perfect for middle- aged guests, 30-50-year-olds. Since Covid, these people are no longer putting off that bigger trip, and I think East Asia – China, Japan and South Korea – could be on their list. We need to capitalise on the K-pop factor.”
Future action James: “I’m going to speak to our Royal Caribbean account manager to set up some training for all our sales consultants about this opportunity.”
Kieran Eccles-Miller, Magical Traveller
Laura Harvey, Holiday Elite
Meg: “I’m going to be doing a lot of social media about this trip. I’ve created loads of reels to really market it. The power of social for an experience like this is huge.” Gemma: “I’m going to put some packages together with flights and market them to our database.” Peter: “I’m going to make it my deal of the day on my easel in the shop and I will be posting on our store’s Facebook page all about it.”
Agent support Ben: “We’re happy to invest in the tools you need to sell this. If you need a mini brochure, we will co-invest.” Ruth: “Royal could absolutely consider creating value-added packages for agents to offer to their clients as part of the overall holiday. There could be three menu options: A, B and C. The first could offer deluxe drinks, Wi-Fi and one shore excursion; one could include all that, plus an excursion in every port, The Key and dining in speciality restaurants. Ben will look into curating those options for you.” Ben: “And we will make the special rate we got for you guys at the St Regis Hotel available for all your future cruise passengers.”
Peter Kisbee, Tui
travelweekly.co.uk
30 OCTOBER 2025
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