6 Success Tips for Cruise Sales, From the Execs

This is the final installment in a series about the challenges and opportunities facing the cruise industry and cruise sellers in 2012.

Famously innovative in its product design and keenly attuned to tapping new consumer markets, the cruise industry offers travel sellers plenty of opportunities for expanding their sales in 2012.

How can travel agents make the most of these opportunities? Here’s advice from top cruise line executives.

#1. Embrace new tools
“There’s a wonderful opportunity for travel agents of the future, but agents need to be well-equipped to deal in the Internet age and understand how to be relevant there. They need to be maximizing their opportunity on the technology side, so they’re mitigating interlopers that are taking away share. Traditional agencies are the bread and butter of the cruise industry, because they know the ships, they know the product, and they are very loyal to the industry. So there’s a very important place for the travel agent, but they need to be cognizant that there are new tools out there and embrace them.” – Kevin Sheehan, CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line

#2. Reach out to first-timers
“We encourage travel agents to continue to focus on reaching first-time cruisers, i.e. ‘cruise rookies.’ Of course maintaining relationships with existing clients is extremely important too, but reaching more cruise rookies provides an opportunity to build future business.”  – Gerry Cahill, president, Carnival Cruise Lines

#3. Keep clients emotionally engaged
“Agents need to stay in touch with their customers more than ever before. It used to be that once the deposit was made, you had the sale. This is no longer so. You have to continually re-engage in the planning of the trip. Keep customers involved in the process, so they are committed and emotionally engaged, so they will be with you to the final payment. There are a variety of ways to stay in touch, like sharing news stories, letting them know about a special deal, sending a postcard from a FAM. It shouldn’t be harassment, but a dialogue.” – Mark Conroy, president, Regent Seven Seas

#4. Build customer (and cruise line) confidence
“I’d be communicating with customers as frequently as I could. Keep them abreast of the many impressive value-for-money offers from the cruise lines and keep them aware of all the different ships and deployments. I’d be trying to express confidence, and I’d be working closely with the cruise lines. Those agents that work closely with the lines to show a willingness to promote and be active will get good support from cruise lines.”  – Peter Shanks, president and managing director, Cunard

#5. Specialize in selected products
“First, focus your attention on a few cruise lines, with just one or two in each of the contemporary, premium, upper-premium and luxury categories. No one can possibly be experts on all of them. Start by familiarizing yourself with their websites, including the travel agent section, where you’ll find a lot of helpful information as well as easy-to-use marketing tools.” – Michael Hirsch, senior vice president of sales, Oceania Cruises

#6. Search out new clients, continuously
“Travel agents need to check their preconceptions at the door. They should be promoting cruising to all of their luxury clients, not just the ones who have cruised before. To be successful, they must be on a constant quest to search out new clients. They need to locate and target more nontraditional cruisers.” – Tracy McSorley, director of national accounts, Silversea

Related Stories: “Outlook 2012: Value, Pricing & Growth Market Favor Cruise Sales,” Jan. 9, 2012, and “Cruise 2012: Uncertainty at Home and Abroad Dampens Outlook,” Jan. 12, 2012.