Agents have “a huge opportunity” to tap into a rapidly growing luxury cruise market and can make more sales by avoiding assumptions about “typical customers”, line sales chiefs have said.
The global luxury and ultraluxury fleet has more than trebled in the past 15 years, with 1.7 million holidaymakers forecast to choose a luxury cruise by 2029.
Clia UK and Ireland managing director Andy Harmer said the Clia Luxury Summit had been brought back after a seven-year break because of this “huge growth”, which could be served by the trade.
Speaking to 120 delegates on board Oceania Marina in Southampton, he described the luxury and ultra-luxury sector as “having a moment”, with eight of the 14 ocean ships launching this year and seven of the 14 ocean ships debuting next year falling in those categories.
“Luxury buyers are looking for professional and knowledgeable travel agents who have invested time in training to understand the sector,” Harmer said.
Sales chiefs agreed trade partners should tap into the luxury cruise growth and avoid matching products solely to “typical luxury customers”.
They said net worth, postcode and fashion choice may not be reliable indicators of a luxury customer and encouraged agents to consider clients who were not “typical cruisers” and show them “a wide range of options”, from small yachts to ocean vessels.
Louise Craddock, Oceania Cruises director of sales for the UK and Ireland, urged agents to “fish in a mainstream pool” for clients who might be happy to trade up.
“We are the perfect cruise line to upsell for mainstream guests,” she said, adding it was “the easiest way” for agents to get into the sector.
Craddock recommended targeting customers who had been on larger ships and were now looking for “a different experience”.
Helen Beck, managing director for global commercial at Windstar Cruises, said all cruise lines “share guests to a certain point”, and told agents not to rule out potential luxury clients who may take multiple holidays a year with different brands, from multigenerational groups to couples and families.
She noted children of eight years and older can sail on Windstar ships and the brand had “a range of clients” who subscribe to “casual luxury”.
Beck noted there is “not the same formality on board”, which is often seen as a trait of luxury cruises, and many luxury passengers are looking to experience destinations they had never seen or heard of before.
Andrew Schweitzer, Explora Journeys UK and Ireland business relationship lead, recommended agents challenge the perceptions of “what people think cruising is” to get new-to-cruise clients over the line.
He said a third of the fleet’s passengers “have never set foot on a ship before” and can be “switched off completely” by using the word cruise or linked terms.
Schweitzer said agents should convey the value and choice available on luxury sailings to boost sales.
Paul Beale, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises vice-president of sales for the UK and Ireland, advised agents to research the adult-only versus family propositions, dress codes, guest-to-crew ratios and total passenger capacity of different ships to find the right product.
He noted Oceania Cruises had become adult-only earlier this year and said Regent Seven Seas Cruises had “no intention” to follow suit.
