Holland America Line Updates Trade Training Course and Agent Benefits

Holland America Line Academy, the cruise line’s travel agent training program, is getting updated with new rewards for participants and a new specialist course.

Now, agents completing courses with HAL Academy will be placed into three different levels of distinction: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Placement depends on which courses the agent completes through the Academy.

For Silver, agents have to complete all four of HAL’s Core Courses; for Gold, agents need those four core courses plus two of the line’s specialist courses; and for Platinum, agents need to complete three total specialist courses.

All agents, no matter the level, will receive some rewards for completing their programs. HAL’s Silver agents will be entered into a monthly drawing two win a HAL swag bag and into another drawing for a grand prize of a seven-day cruise on the Nieuw Statendam in 2019.

Gold agents get the Silver benefits plus additional continuing education credits and an onboard welcome letter and personal call from the ship’s dining room manager.

Platinum agents receive all those benefits plus priority boarding when sailing.

New specialist course
As part of the program’s upgrade, HAL has added a new specialist course called “Northern Europe: Its Iconic Cities, Hidden Gems and Scenic Beauty.” The course, which HAL says takes about 20 minutes to complete, gives agents an inside look at Northern European ports and provides a set of downloadable e-tools to help market those sailings to their clients.

“Our senior director, Denella Ri’chard, along with content curator Dr. Marc Mancini, continue to develop educational programs that not only reward agents for their achievements, but empower them with knowledge and confidence to help them grow their premium cruise business in an interactive learning environment,” said Eva Jenner, vice president, sales, for Holland America Line. 

The Northern Europe course is in addition to the latest specialist course recently launched by HAL, “Alaska and the Yukon: The Great Land = Great Sales for You.”

Other courses include: “The Panama Canal and More, Selling and Sailing in the Mediterranean” and “Grand Voyages: Oceans Traveled, Journeys Savored, Dreams Fulfilled.”