Catching Up with MSC Cruises’ SVP of Trade Sales, North America Erin Douglas

No one told Erin Douglas, MSC Cruises’ senior vice president of trade sales in North America for just over a year, that she’d miss her old job in strategic partnerships. But 10 years – first at Carnival Cruise Line and then with MSC Cruises – is a long time to spend focused on one piece of the cruise business.

“I really enjoy this role, managing the team from a different level and the long-range planning, but a surprise was how much I still miss my previous role. It’s always exciting when you step into new shoes, but I will always have a very special place in my heart for dealing with our strategic partners,” she told TMR during April’s CLIA Cruise360 conference.

She added that being busy keeps her from missing it too much,

“I’m so busy and have so many other really amazing things to work on and look forward to.”

Front of mind for Douglas as MSC Cruises continues its westward expansion, is to keep up the regular pace of travel advisor outreach.

“We have to continue, as we expand our presence in the U.S., we have to continue to reach more travel advisors and their guests. Even though we’re expanding and we’re reaching more, we’re still in a phase where we’re introducing them to MSC, our brand, what’s it all about, and what our signature blend of European style and American comfort really looks and feels like.”

That means identifying and reaching advisors that Douglas refers to as “MSC curious.”

“They’re hearing about us. Maybe they haven’t experience us, but as the buzz gets more, they want to learn more,” she explained.

“We’re always looking at ways that we can make sure that they become educated, knowledgeable, and familiar with our products.”

That includes things like ship tours, Seminars at Sea, webinars, and being present at events like Cruise360.

Generally speaking, much of Douglas’ team’s focus is on travel advisors away from the East Coast, who have had regular access to MSC cruise ships for many years.

“On the West Coast, they haven’t had the same opportunity,” to go and see ships and do inspections, she said. Already, travel advisors in Texas are “coming fully onboard… embracing the Seascape in Galveston.”

Unless there’s an event that makes getting advisors onboard MSC Seascape difficult, each and every week the cruise line is bringing some 100 advisors on every turnaround day to so the ship and take a tour.

Advisor Feedback Drives Change

If outreach to MSC Cruises-curious advisors is the first step in Douglas’ strategy, listening to the advisors who are already booking MSC isn’t that far behind as a priority.

“Our advisors love to share feedback and we love to hear it,” she said. “We’re invested in growing that community and part of that is we want to be easier to do business with. We want to make it a seamless transaction that they’re very comfortable with.”

To help MSC keep up with what travel advisors need, the cruise line has a travel advisor advisory committee, but also regularly runs surveys and reaches out to advisors.

She added, “We listen to what they’re saying, and then we make adjustments based on their feedback to the flow of our booking engine. We even consider policies to some degree, like as we grew, we had to change some things to expand our growth.”

Douglas told TMR about a new customizable groups flyer that advisors can create on MSC Book to use in promoting group cruises.

“That’s something that we got feedback from them, that that would be helpful. We designed it so that they can customize it to their agency. When they take out a group, they get a really beautiful flyer with the itinerary and then they can, in turn, work with their BDM on a marketing plan to go out and promote that group.”

The Opportunity Presented by MSC World Europa in the Caribbean

While MSC Cruises has been steadily growing its North American-based fleet, the line had not originally intended to have MSC Europa based in the region. That changed with the conflict in the Middle East and the line’s first World Class ship will now be redeployed to the Caribbean for the late 2026/early 2027 season.

With cruises starting in in Fort-de-France (Martinique), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Bridgetown (Barbados), Douglas said the redeployment presents a unique opportunity for North American travel advisors.

“World Class cruising has been a game changer for us in the U.S. MSC World America really set the tone and our guests and advisors are really embracing it. Having another World Class ship here only amplifies that,” she said. “Then adding Southern Caribbean itineraries as a unique offering, that are a little bit off the beaten path — it’s an alternative to cruises departing from the U.S. home ports.”

It’s particularly appealing to advisors with MSC loyalist clients who are looking for new itineraries.

“Loyalists tend to like something new… whether it’s a new ship or a new itinerary, they get very excited about it.”

While these itineraries are closer to the U.S. than the previously scheduled Middle East itineraries, Douglas told TMR she doesn’t expect the ship to be filled with mostly North American cruisers.

“With where it’s positioned in the Caribbean, it’s still going to be an attraction for many markets… It’s going to be a really nice, diverse, international clientele.”

If Travel Advisors Understood ________, They’d Sell More MSC

We asked Douglas to fill in the blank. She was quick to tell us it isn’t just one thing she wants advisors to understand about the MSC Cruises experience.

“If advisors really truly understood the incredible value, the unique offering, and the absolutely unique atmosphere, which I would say is elevated but effortless, that they experience on MSC, I think a lot more people would be embracing it and enjoying it,” she said.

Douglas is confident that understanding will continue to expand among the travel advisor community.

“We’re continuing on this incredible momentum of growth and I don’t see it slowing down at any point. We’re super excited and happy with all the support we’ve gotten from the trade community so far and we’re excited to bring more and more ships for them to learn about and educate them on, and for them to sell.”