Will longer cruises create more customer engagement and customer satisfaction in 2015?
Despite some less-than-flattering incidents in recent years, a new survey of travel agents by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) found that 37% of agents reported an increase in bookings of 14- to 100-day cruises.
Mark Flager, Sales Manager, WMPH Vacations based in Delray Beach, Florida, wholeheartedly agrees with the survey’s assertion.
“Yes, indeed,” Flager told Loyalty360. “Longer cruises most emphatically will create more customer engagement. Cruises of any length already enjoy the highest satisfaction ratings of any travel product. The longer the itinerary, the greater are the opportunities for guests to experience the amenities of a cruise, such as specialty restaurants, culinary and enrichment lecturers, spa and salon treatments, and bespoke excursions in varied ports of call. Longer cruises typically include more days at sea, a lovely opportunity for indolence, enrichment, and fine dining. Not least is the opportunity to form deeper friendships with fellow guests and to
get to know crew members in a more meaningful way.”
WMPH Vacations employs 75 on- and off-site travel counselors and operates a number of websites, including iCruise.com and AlaskaCruises.com.
“Cruise lines employ onboard sales personnel to promote and book future cruises,” Flager said. “Longer cruises provide more opportunities to make the sale. Most allow a grace period after the end of a cruise for future cruise savings to apply. For travel professionals, the long-cruise client, back on land and glowing from the experience, is a potent source for repeat business and referrals. Savvy travel counselors assist their clients in creating bucket lists of global itineraries, and stay on top of trends in destination development, onboard amenities, and new ship construction.”
Virginia M. Sheridan, Managing Partner, Travel/Lifestyle, Finn Partners, told Loyalty360 that over the years and with an improving economy, cruise lines cater to the affluent traveler and have begun to add longer itineraries to their offerings.
“Basically, the big marketing dynamic for longer cruises is to target an older, sophisticated, affluent consumer who is a cruise enthusiast,” Sheridan said.
Here is a sample of upcoming itineraries from member lines of CLIA:
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sun returns to South America for the first time in five years with 14-day cruises between Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile and Buenos Aires, from November 2015 through March 2016. Included is scenic cruising in the Chilean Fjords, Strait of Magellan and around Cape Horn.
Carnival Cruise Line’s long itineraries include a 12-day Journey of Discovery sailing from Galveston on the Carnival Triumph, embarking March 2. The ship calls in Grand Cayman, Limon (Costa Rica) and Cartagena and Santa Marta (Colombia). On the West Coast, the Carnival Miracle will operate three 15-day round-trip cruises from Long Beach to Hawaii, embarking Oct. 17 and Nov. 28, 2015, and Nov. 16, 2016. On these sailings, guests can visit Maui, Honolulu, Kauai, Kona and Hilo, as well as Ensenada, Mexico.