Speaking to TTG, river cruise specialist homeworker James Hill said he was heading into the summer “very demotivated” as lines continue to discount cruises, resulting in less commission.

“The trouble is that if something is £4,000 and a company offers 10% commission, I take home £400 – but when they drop the cruise price to £1,500, I only take home £150, yet I still have to work just as hard to convert the same amount of business,” Hill explained.

“So I’m working as hard as usual, but not getting anywhere near the same income. The business is there, the customers are there, but the income isn’t.”

Ponders Travel managing director Clare Dudley said the wave of new business was, at times, starting to become “too much to handle”.

“It’s fantastic, we haven’t stopped since before Christmas – but it’s at the point where we almost can’t cope in some ways. It really is relentless, but in a good way.” 

Dudley is expecting sales to double year-on-year in 2023, driven by clients seeking more bucket-list trips to make up for lost time during the pandemic. 

Travel Counsellor Emma Otter reported an uptick in first-time cruisers, whom she believes have been inspired by news of new ships coming online in recent months.

“Ex-UK cruising is still in huge demand, with strong sales for 2024 and 2025,” she told TTG. “Luxury cruising is booming, and we have quite a lot of customers looking for experiential cruising onboard smaller ships.”

However, founder and owner of LAH Travel Linda Hill Miller said business had “somewhat quietened down” in May after a strong start to the year. “We’re still seeing high-value bookings, but last month was quite slow for us,” she told TTG.

“Clients are still keen to make up for time lost during the pandemic, but the cost of living squeeze is starting to have an impact on people’s decisions.”