Andrews acknowledged some agents may be daunted by ultra-luxury or expedition products, particularly if they are new to cruise.
Speaking to TTG Luxury, Andrews said: “My message is: don’t be scared of it. If you can sell cruise, you can sell ultra-luxury cruise. It’s not as different as people think.”
Andrews cited previous agency partners who have driven growth by including a cruise option in every relevant quote, even when clients have not specifically requested one.
“Sometimes the client hasn’t thought about cruise, so all it takes is asking,” he said.
Seabourn ‘in a pickle’ without agents
The UK and Ireland market is “integral” to Seabourn’s global strategy, according to Andrews, and second only to the US in terms of scale.
“We’ve seen some brilliant numbers from our partners over here in the UK,” he said, adding that the expedition niche is increasingly resonating with agents, who account for a “significant amount” of Seabourn’s business in the UK.
“Without agents, we’d be in a bit of a pickle,” Andrews explained. “You’re fishing in a different pond with ultra-luxury, and certain partners have very bespoke audiences that you can’t access as easily.”
He added there was “no ceiling” to trade growth in the UK and pointed to the recent hire of new business development executive Khai Locke-White as evidence of Seabourn’s long-term ambitions.
“We wouldn’t be increasing our headcount if we didn’t believe the UK market could grow,” Andrews added.
Locke-White joins from a revenue management role at Cunard Cruises and will focus on a portfolio of “development accounts” identified as having strong potential.
He will be reporting into business development manager Charlotte Ireland, who was promoted last year alongside senior business development manager Claire Rose.
“We’re a relatively small team, so we’ve had to be very careful in how we spend our time,” Tom said. “This extra pair of hands gives us the freedom to evolve and grow accounts we’ve always wanted to get closer to.”
He described the new recruit, who has sailed on nearly 50 cruises, as both commercially astute and passionate about the sector.
“To be successful in sales, you need the jazz hands – training, energy, presence – but you also need strong commercial acumen. Khai brings both,” Andrews said.
‘The earlier, the better’
To drive higher average selling prices, Seabourn is focusing on extending its booking curve and bringing key voyages to market earlier.
“All the evidence and all the data tells you that, the earlier you can get on sale, the higher the price point,“ Andrews explained. “That's our strategy.“
The line is also targeting increased sales of premium suites and spotlighting underrated itineraries such as Alaska through dedicated campaigns and agent incentives. Recent Asia bookings were supported by a Ninja kitchen appliance giveaway, which Andrews said “flew”, alongside more traditional voucher campaigns and social media pushes.
Other resources for agents include Seabourn's “recently expanded” training programme and ship visit itinerary, which is already oversubscribed for this year.
Despite the impending loss of Seabourn Sojourn from the fleet, Andrews insisted the brand’s commitment to the UK remains strong.
“If anyone has any doubt about that, the fact we’re hiring into our UK sales team should tell them everything,” he said. “We’re committed to and expecting big growth.”
