Testing the Waters with Dori: A Cruise Qualifying Test for Advisors

On a recent ocean cruise with Viking, I was reminded of the importance of qualifying your client. While I and my aunt both had a wonderful time on our cruise, should we have been actual clients of an advisor, only one of us should have actually been placed on the cruise.

Before I go any further, I first want to say that qualifying a client has nothing to do with whether a cruise line is good or bad.

Let me say that again for the advisors in the back. Qualifying a client has nothing to do with whether or not you think a cruise line is good or bad, high quality or low quality, or anything else with judgement involved.

There are no bad cruise lines.

For advisors, there might be cruise lines that are difficult to work with or cruise lines that don’t prioritize the advisor relationship. But from a client perspective there are no bad cruise lines.

There are only bad cruise line fits.

Which doesn’t even always lead to disaster. Both my aunt and I had a good time on our Viking “Into the Midnight Sun” sailing. We walked away impressed with the itinerary, the comfort of our cabin, and the contemporary, intimate styling of the lounges. There were so, so many things we both enjoyed from the truly excellent service to the ability to special order almost anything for dinner by giving crew a day’s notice to the sociability of the other Viking guests.

But, for one of us, there were some things that lessened the experience.

While age can be a factor when qualifying, with most cruise lines psychographics are more important than demographics. So are the details of those psychographics. For instance, if you asked both my aunt and I how important destination immersion is to our enjoyment of a cruise or vacation, we’d both say important.

However, if you stopped there, you’d miss a key component.

One of us likes learning about the history of a destination, likes exploring a town, wandering around its side streets, and taking in the architecture. The other of us would be pretty bored doing that. That one wants to get out into nature, go for a hike in the nearby woods or mountains, or participate hands-on in an activity that the locals do.

Both are destination-immersive experiences, but they’re different.

Out of curiosity, post-cruise, I selected a few questions from 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients’ Vacation Plans, plus added a few of my own, that both my aunt and myself answered.

Based on our answers, who do you think was the better fit for this Viking cruise? (Even more interestingly, is there a different cruise line you’d recommend?) Email me at dsaltzman@travelmarketreport.com and let me know!

1. What type of travel style do you prefer (active, easy pace, bus tours, etc.)?

Dori: I like being active when I’m off the ship. In particular, I like going for hikes and kayaking. I like to snorkel in warm weather destinations. I’m not a huge fan of bike excursions, but I will do them from time to time, especially if they’re in places where the scenery is pretty. On ship, I don’t need to be busy all the time, but I like a decent selection of activities to participate in.

Deborah: Walking tours; easy pace but not necessarily of limited mileage.

2. Tell me about your hobbies and favorite activities, and if there’s anything in particular you look forward to doing on vacation.

Dori: When cruising, I love trivia. It’s one of my favorite things about being on a cruise. I do love to read and will always have books with me, but I can’t spend my entire free time just reading. I need something to keep me busy from time to time. I love going to the spa, but will usually only indulge once or twice per cruise.

Deborah: Exercise; travel and learning about other cultures and lifestyles.

3. Do you like party atmosphere or more quiet and laid back?

Dori: I like laid back, but not necessarily quiet. If I’m sitting in a lounge, I don’t want to hear classical music. I’d much prefer light rock, 80s/90s oldies, or current radio hits. I’m not going to go out and party every night, but I might want to go dancing one night if there’s an 80s night or a silent disco, or something like that.

Deborah: Quiet and laid back, but enjoy meeting people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

4. How much do you love to eat and do you love to try new dishes?

Dori: I love to eat but I’m very picky about my food and prefer to stick to dishes I know and love. I am not a foodie and don’t like gourmet. I need a lot of variety because I don’t eat a lot of things. The smaller the selection, the harder a time I’m going to have finding food to eat.

Deborah: I enjoy eating and like a wide variety of food, but also have dietary restrictions.

5. What DON’T you want to do?

Dori: I don’t want to go to a museum, unless it’s a marquee museum like the Louvre or the Van Gogh Museum. I’m not interested in war-related history and mostly only do city walking tours if that’s the only option. I don’t want to go to the beach or sit by the pool. I don’t want to get on a bus for two to three hours to spend one or two hours in a destination, then two to three hours on the bus back.

Deborah: Not particularly interested in educational learning except when it’s coupled with actual experience; am not able to do intensive activity at this point.

6. Do you prefer one all-inclusive price, or do you prefer to pay only for things you want like drinks, shore excursions, etc.?

Dori: I prefer semi-inclusive pricing when possible. I think Wi-Fi and soft drinks should not cost extra. (I don’t drink alcohol so don’t care if it’s included or not.) I also prefer to have a large selection of extra-fee excursions that I can choose from so I find exactly what I want to do, rather than have to pick from a smaller selection of included options.

Deborah: Prefer all inclusive.

7. How do you like to explore a new destination? What subjects are you interested in?

Dori: I like to get out and about in a new destination, particularly by foot with hiking (or if on water by Zodiac, kayak, or swimming) or hands-on with some kind of class or activity. I’m most interested in wildlife and nature, indigenous cultures, and pre-historic civilizations.

Deborah: By foot mainly; lifestyle/culture, architecture, and religious practices.

8. Have you been on a cruise before and what were your favorite activities on board? What didn’t you like about it?

Dori: Yes. I love trivia and other interactive games (though not silly things like bellyflop contests or sexy legs). I enjoy production shows at night, especially those that tell a story and aren’t just mashups of various songs. I also enjoy comedy onboard. I’m not interested in live music (prefer a DJ over a live band every time) or couples dancing.

Deborah: Enjoyed the regular presentations before each port. Trivia. Wasn’t particularly interested in evening entertainment