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knowledge cruise
ttglive.com
but in the last two years people have had
talk back
their fingers burnt with various flight
problems,” he explained.
“Arranging a bespoke deal does TECH VIEWPOINT
have its risks and that is probably Kenny Picken, managing director, Traveltek
the biggest pitfall.” “Tailor-making cruise packages with
However, for inventive and interesting itineraries is
cruise lines one of the where the margins are most attractive and
main advantages is the the technology is now available to create
potential for extra sales. interesting and, of course, exclusive cruise
“Packaged cruises with journeys which can differentiate agents
“Doing something like this gives the agent different land add-ons allow agents to sell from the rest.
a chance to provide the customer with a something cruise lines cannot and this im- “We hear grumbles about some agents
more personal touch.” proves distribution and means there’s room gaining better pricing than others but
Greenslade estimated that bespoke for more sales,” English added. this can be worked around by being more
arrangements accounted for up to 35% of “By arranging pre-cruise stays, it also creative and indeed using a system that
the agency’s sales and he hoped to develop brings travellers into a destination on a extracts cruise-only product at net rates
this further by offering regional departures different date which means there is more before dynamically packaging it to create
and escorted voyages. availability for air seats as people fly in at original product with great margins.
The agency’s Atol is currently hosted by different times.” “The investment will mean an outlay of
Fred Olsen Travel, but he plans to get his own. He felt the main risk to a cruise line could a few thousand pounds in the first year but
be if a bespoke deal went wrong and the set against the additional margins of being
White Star Cruises customer wrongly perceived it to be the able to compete both in the agency and
General manager Scott Anderson claimed cruise line’s fault rather than the agency’s. online probably makes the difference
the Hove-based company was the industry’s between leading the market and just
only dedicated luxury cruise concierge Norwegian Cruise Line surviving.”
service. According to sales director Nick Wilkinson,
Set up last year, the company is part of bespoke packaging has been NCL’s fastest-
Wexas Traveller’s Club and sells its own growing area over the last year. ships sail from Mediterranean ports and
bespoke packages based on cruise-only or “It has slowed down in recent weeks cities well-served by airlines.
net rates from lines such as Silversea, following the XL situation and everyone is It pays 15% commission to agents who
Cunard, Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and looking at how they are protected,” he said. do not want to dynamically package, and
Swan Hellenic. NCL offers agents cruise-only gross rates provides net rates for those that do and “can
“We can create something specifically for while cruise-only net rates are sold to tour deliver reasonable passenger numbers”.
each client,” Anderson explained. “If they operators and a handful of agents.
don’t want to go with suggested packages, “The most popular destinations for
we can tailor it to their requirements.” our cruise-only sales to agents are Alaska,
Such arrangements can take a significant because of the variety of products they can
amount of time and trouble to arrange, but build in pre and post-cruise, and Barcelona
with the company’s average booking at nearly where 50% of clients are on an extended
£6,000 per couple the rewards are obvious. bespoke package,” he added.
White Star extras that can be bolted on to While voicing his support for DIY deals
cruises include add-on hotel stays which are as a good distribution channel, Wilkinson
particularly popular in New York, Barcelona, cautioned that agents needed to package
Rome and Venice; private tours at cruise such deals carefully to ensure they and their
ports; luggage forwarding; private limousine customers were not left exposed by potential Princess Cruises
transfers; and airport parking. problems. Alaska is proving popular for DIY agents
The company also provides visa services
and a 24-hour emergency contact number. Louis Cruise Lines
UK manager Peter Adamou believes agents
can offer clients a wider choice and more
THE CRUISE LINES.
flexible travel and land arrangements than a
Royal Caribbean International, cruise line.
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises “We have no desire to become a tour
Head of field sales Michael English said operator, with the complexities involved,”
agents were increasingly jumping on the DIY he said.
bandwagon, but it wasn’t always a bed of “We prefer to concentrate on what we do
roses. well: traditional cruising and hospitality.”
“We were seeing more agents taking Louis feels cruising is ripe for de-packaging
cruise-only and doing flights and packages, and its operation fits the model well as its Destinations such as New York can be ideal for bespoke cruise packages
60 21.11.2008
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