The Cruise Room opened its doors in Hoylake in Merseyside last June. At the time, cruise was still largely at a standstill. “There were great days – and there were tough days,” O’Grady reflects. “But to make it to our first birthday feels like a real landmark, a real achievement.”
O’Grady tells TTG how, one year on from its inception, the business has surpassed £1 million in sales, won “numerous” awards and was named top agency in the UK and Ireland for bookings on Royal Caribbean’s 274-night Ultimate World Cruise.
This momentum continued last month when the duo expanded their team, taking on cruise planners Jacquie Jenke and Carol McGanity. “It’s a little daunting making the step to recruit,” O’Grady admits. “Jon and I have put blood, sweat and tears into this dream for quite some time, and it’s hard when you let others in. However, the demand is there, we are getting so many referrals now and we know it’s time to grow.
“It has, of course, been a rollercoaster – we’re no different to anyone else in the trade right now, and our hearts are with everyone across the industry.”
Due to the agency’s growing popularity among the local community, O’Grady and Howitt are now seeking an additional member of staff to help the brand grow – and potentially a second store. O’Grady says the business has seen an increase in late bookings due to clients’ ongoing “uncertainty as to which way the world is going to turn”.
“It leads so many to leave it late and then try to get something booked last minute as they feel it’s safe to do so,” he explains. “Ex-UK sailings were obviously big last year for us. Celebrity Cruises has been particularly popular, and feedback has been excellent with several onboard bookings too. P&O Cruises’ Caribbean programme was strong last winter too, and we expect similar this year.”
As part of Clia’s river cruise mentoring scheme, the agency has also worked with A-Rosa to raise the profile of river cruising locally through spots on BBC Radio, in local publications and via social media – and it’s working. “River cruise enquiries are now really starting to build,” O’Grady reveals.
When the agency opened its doors, O’Grady and Howitt mainly fielded questions about Covid protocols. “This is no longer the case,” says O’Grady. “We are seeing a huge number of first-time cruisers, as they finally have somewhere to go and someone to talk to about cruise holidays.
“Over the summer, UK enquiries have increased, as the news about airports has caused a lot of concern for guests. Some of our biggest issues have been less with the airport problems and more with the lack of direct flight options.”
O’Grady now wants cruise lines to shift their focus towards 2023 after reporting an uptick in customers looking to book for next year. “Having made it to our first birthday – and survived – we are now very excited about what we can achieve in the future,” he adds warmly.
