On Getaway Inaugural, Norwegian Woos Agents
by Andrew Sheivachman /Gusting winter winds and waves of snow kept 1,700 of Norwegian Cruise Line’s travel partners indoors on this week’s inaugural voyage of the Latin-infused Norwegian Getaway. Travel agents on the voyage, however, received the new ship warmly.
The Getaway sailed Monday on a two-night voyage from New York City, port of its sister and mirror image ship the Norwegian Breakaway.
Enhancements
A key change from the Breakaway’s format is the Illusionarium, a magician-themed performance that replaces Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque Dreams.
A mojito bar has taken up residence in the Getaway’s atrium, along with Latin-themed décor and upholstery.
Otherwise, the 4,000-passenger ship, which will sail the Eastern Caribbean and depart from Miami, is much the same as the Breakaway.
Agents are ‘lifeblood’
Norwegian Cruise Line execs talked up the importance of travel agents to distribution, especially as the company has transformed itself in the last five years to become more competitive with lines like Royal Caribbean.
The company’s turnaround, marked by 15 consecutive quarters of increased profit margins, has coincided with its re-embrace of the travel agency community.
“We have got to understand the importance of the travel agent,” said Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We have to make everything seamless for them.
“They’re the lifeblood of the industry; this business does not work without the travel agents.”
Partners First
Since 2011, Norwegian has focused its travel agency initiatives around its Partners First program, which has included technology booking improvements and marketing tools for agents.
The cruise line has come a long way, Sheehan suggested.
“Our tech was so antiquated when we began that it wasn’t useful, and if you were finally successful making a booking we didn’t pay the travel agent.”
Sheehan encouraged agents to take advantage of the company’s marketing tools and build relationships with their local BDMs.
Agent perspective
Regarding the Getaway, agents said the wide variety of its onboard offerings, from Nickelodeon-branded programs for kids to musical theater performances for adults, make the ship an attractive sell to a diverse array of mid-market cruisers.
“Norwegian is doing a better job packaging the dining and entertainment options than other brands,” said Christopher M. Tichy, vice president of sales at the TRAVELSAVERS-affilliated Vacation Center in Covington, R.I. “It works for a variety of cruisers.”
Like Norwegian’s other products, the Getaway’s offerings are less attractive to luxury clients or to agents looking to sell higher-yielding cruise vacations.
“It’s great for kids and families,” said David Craig, owner of Craig Travel, a TRAVELSAVERS Canada agency, in Toronto. “I only sell more upscale cruises, but this is a nice ship for the money.”
For Norwegian, it seems, more of the same is more of a good thing.