Travel advisors could be focusing more on the “yet to cruise” market as a huge opportunity to tempt land-based luxury clients, agents were told during a hosted Explora Journeys lunch in London. 

Agents heard how future growth from the sector is likely to come from people who have so far not opted for a cruise. Priti Mehta, vice president of sales for the UK and Ireland for the line, used “yet to cruise” rather than the much-used “new to cruise” terminology, adding that using language differently could help persuade those clients who have still not been tempted. 

“We prefer to say it’s an ‘ocean holiday’, with everything you would expect from a hotel-based trip – but there’s no unpacking multiple times, and you have a new destination each day – think of how much goes into organising a trip round Asia, for example, when one cruise can cover so much,” Mehta said during the event, which was held at Mount St. Restaurant in partnership with TTG Luxury. 

The handpicked group of 13 luxury travel advisors also heard from peers at the lunch how they approached cruise sales. Some endorsed cruising as an effective way to add value to a long-haul trip by “sneaking” it into the itinerary, rather than making it the whole holiday, which Mehta accepted. “We don’t have to be the whole holiday: using your own expertise to build us into an itinerary is a great approach,” she said. 

Luxury cruise booking trends  

Ross Pakes, managing director – Private Travel at Ten Lifestyle, said he got the impression that cruises are still being booked “organically” by Ten’s clients, with a lot of them being “repeat bookers”. He added that while the brand is not “aggressively pushing” cruise, he believes there is “a lot to like about it and there’s plenty of opportunity” to explore the area further. 

“We’re not selling a lot of cruise; but we want to do more and we want to sell it as a luxury hotel that happens to be on the water, that’s easier,” added Jeanne Radcliffe, director of Sovereign Travel. 

Mehta went on to highlight the importance of thinking ahead when it comes to securing a place onboard: “Agents offer real ‘cut-through’ for luxury cruise lines like ours, and we need that dialogue as clients book years in advance. People are booking in advance for cruises in 2027 and even 2028.”

Karen Pocock, managing director of Designer Travel, shared how her network of agents are regularly supported on how to make the most of the cruise opportunity, highlighting the tremendous reward of repeat business generated within cruising. 

She said Designer Travel encourages clients to purchase their next cruise during the sailing they are enjoying by giving them a ‘Book on Board’ guide. This prompted a conversation around the potential for sales onboard, with several agents noting that such opportunities rarely arise on land-based holidays. 

Mehta outlined how Explora Journeys has a future cruise consultant on all sailings, who can offer guests optimal rates and reduced deposits for their next booking, which will also filter back to the agent if that is the original source.

Sales tips for sailings

Louise Knolles, marketing and communications manager at Huben Travel, revealed the business had hosted a cruise evening in its recently-opened Cobham store, as a way of promoting its cruise partners and educating its clients about an ocean-based holiday. 

“We invited a luxury cruise brand to come speak to our customers. It was really popular and it got people to understand that cruise is a great way of fulfilling bucket list dreams,” she said. “Often it’s a couple who inquire about cruise – one who is ‘pro-cruise’, the other who doesn’t want to go but gets persuaded!”

Agents also emphasised the importance of understanding the differences between cruise lines, especially when it comes to their value propositions. 

“I’ve got clients who love one line because it’s a luxury all-inclusive offering, but others who don’t choose these options for that very reason: because they’re paying for drinks even though they may not be drinking,” one advisor revealed.

The appeal of cruise for solo travellers was also highlighted, with brands like Explora Journeys offering a reduced solo supplement and discreet hosts for clients who’d like some company.

Explora Journeys also has Club Soda, a programme which supports clients who don’t drink alcohol, and Prism, an events calendar which celebrates the diversity of guests onboard.

At the event, Mehta also reiterated how strong the cruise line’s commitment to the travel advisor community has been since launch, including a number of resources available to inspire clients.

Explora Journeys has also launched a new digital initiative to support travel advisors. Created in collaboration with Rallio, agents can now access and schedule brand-approved content across their social media platforms. The suite of digital marketing tools, which includes functions for post planning and performance tracking, will be initially rolled out in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and Germany, with more markets to be added soon.