The consortium believes initially there could be up to 15 meetings a day split over two or three days and if successful could be scaled up to accommodate more members.

Cruise One-to-Ones will provide Advantage's Latitude cruise members with the opportunity to speak to experts from across the cruise sector, as well as Advantage staff, on how to capitalise on the growing cruise market.

The Cruise One-to-Ones trial was announced at the consortium's Latitude Cruise Conference onboard Princess Cruises' Sky Princess ship by Advantage's director of cruise Johnny Peat on Wednesday (15 October).

'A forum for learning'

Speaking during a media briefing to preview the conference on Tuesday (14 October), John Sullivan, commercial director at Advantage Travel Partnership, stressed the service is not only being aimed at new-to-cruise agents. "We want to help really experienced agents as well," he said.

Sullivan said once the service had been rolled out to members could be "extended" outside the business and used to encourage new members to join Advantage.

Peat said: "We're continually challenging ourselves to come up with new ways for members to build their expertise and knowledge of the cruise sector, and this new initiative will be available to those who are both new to the sector as well as more seasoned retailers of cruise.

"We're always looking for ways to think outside the box and deliver real value to our members."

He added: "The breadth of knowledge and experience across our group, and available to us, is expansive and we want to make it accessible to everyone keen to develop their cruise business.

"These Cruise One-to-Ones will create an opportunity for us to take a deep dive into a member's cruise business, and provide a forum for learning, sharing best practices and gaining insights, particularly in areas like marketing—that can directly translate into business growth."

'Bring on the Budget'

For the first eight months of 2025, Advantage reported overall cruise sales were 10% up with average booking value jumping 11% compared to the same period in 2024.

Advantage revealed expedition cruise sales are up 34% year-to-date, followed by river cruising at 24%, ocean cruising at 10% and luxury cruise bookings at 8%.

River cruising continues to serve as an accessible entry point for first-time cruisers, Advantage said, with up to 65% of river bookings coming from customers new to the sector.

Meanwhile, Sullivan said Advantage is "really conscious" about next month's Budget and the headwinds it is predicted to create for customers.

"To be honest, I wish the Budget was happening sooner than 26 November," he added. "People are erring on the side that it will not be brilliant, but once it's announced the consumer will know what they are facing and that uncertainty will be gone."