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Cruise
Lee Hayhurst
020 7921 8001
lhayhurst@ttglive.com
For the latest cruise news, visit ttglive.com/cruise
Thomas Cook
plans major
Cruise Week puts
cruise survey
focus on access
NATIONAL Cruise Week, which takes place all this
Lee Hayhurst.
orientated; they just want
week, will see Cruise Thomas Cook launch a THE LAUNCH of the first the right facilities and they
major survey into the market. National Cruise Week on will be loyal customers.”
The UK’s largest cruise retailer wants to gain NCL’s Norwegian Jewel in Parker said the group
insights into market trends and the customer Dover last week included a was particularly impressed
experience, from booking to disembarkation. focus on the facilities modern cruise ships have by the size and number of cabins that had dis-
It will send the survey to more than 100,000 for the disabled. abled access and the facilities in the cabins as
cruise customers via its Cruise Thomas Cook Gloucester-based disabled holidays specialists well as elsewhere onboard, such as pool hoists.
Cruise Magazine, through its stores and online. Accessible Travel took 27 customers on board She said one of the customers at the launch
The results will form the basis of an industry for the launch and a second group on Royal had a child with learning difficulties who said the
report that will be published in November. Caribbean International’s Independence of the standard of facilities was as good as those in her
Marc Bennett, director of Cruise Thomas Cook, Seas on Saturday. son’s school.
said: “There are a number of industry reports on Speaking before the Southampton visit, It is hoped National Cruise Week will help
the cruise market but we felt none of these truly general manager Ali Parker said the group was spread the message that ships are accessible.
represented the whole spectrum of the cruise amazed by the quality of NCL’s facilities. Among Accessible Travel, which operates a call cen-
market and customers today. the group of 27, 12 were wheelchair users. tre and also has five franchisee homeworkers, is
“[Our survey aims] to provide a truly unbiased “Ships are really accessible, so why not shout helping Ace devise training modules for agents
reflection of the market and consumer trends.” it from the rooftops,” she said. on disabled travel.
Thomas Cook will mark National Cruise Week “If you’re on operator why not get disabled Parker said cruise currently accounted for
through its stores with promotions, plus cruise passengers onboard? They are not as price 25% of Accessible Travel’s business.
customer evenings on Thursday, September 11.
■ TTG cruise module: ttglive.com/knowledge
Ace adds five
training courses
ACE launched five online training courses for
agents in time for National Cruise Week.
Each course contains 13 modules and cover a
range of subjects including disabled travel, the
environment and health and safety.
Andy Harmer, Ace business development
director, said 4,000 agents were working to-
wards the association’s accreditation, compared
with just 180 a year ago.
“We are starting to offer more training that
goes in depth. We feel there is the need to talk
about more subjects like disabled travel at sea
and the impact on the environment,” he said.
These subjects are likely to feature at next
year’s Ace Cruise Convention. The association said
it had a shortlist of contending venues. Accessible Travel’s Ali Parker: “Ships are really accessible [for disabled passengers], so lines should shout about it”
26 12.09.2008
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