Discount Cruises will act as a “self-service” platform, offering discounted prices only to customers who book online.
Cruise Circle owner and managing director Jason Daniels said the agency was looking to meet the demands of both current customers and new-to-cruise clients.
“Whilst offering a discount to buy a travel product online versus offline is not ground-breaking, we feel there is an opportunity to deliver a discount message in a consistent and transparent way,” he said.
“We will be 100% clear that the reason we are offering a discount is that the entire booking transaction is completed online. Our value proposition and marketing communications will be clear that we are not discounting the product, we are discounting the price because of how the booking is made.”
Discount Cruises will initially offer 10 cruise lines, including MSC Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, with plans to expand to more brands who have the required technology.
“Whilst there is clearly still a strong demand for travel agents in the traditional sense, meeting the expectations of the new generation of cruisers and those who simply prefer to book online is something we need to be prepared for, and now we are,” said Daniels.
Cruise Circle’s sales and customer service director Danielle Nemeth said a dedicated marketing and product strategy would be put in place for Discount Cruises and all aspects of booking management and customer care would be facilitated by the existing Cruise Circle team.
Customers booking on the new site will receive “instant confirmation” and have the ability to manage their bookings and make payments online, while customer care will initially come via phone and email as a chat support function is developed.
“By diversifying our offering we are also future proofing the business,” added Daniels.
“Our research has told us that whilst there is clearly still a strong demand for travel agents in the traditional sense, meeting the expectations of the new generation of cruisers and those who simply prefer to book online is something we need to be prepared for - and now we are.”
