Agents Drive NCL’s Biggest-Ever Booking Day

Agents Drive NCL’s Record Day
“Travel agents were the primary contributors” to Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest single-day booking record, reached on Jan. 24, a cruise line spokesperson told Travel Market Report. In that one day, overall bookings rose “substantially” above the company’s previous best booking day. Furthermore, the highest number of individual reservations for the Norwegian Epic in a single day since its launch also was achieved.

Agent Requires Proper Decorum From Clients
“I have strict requirements for my clients. I expect them to act like ladies and gentleman at all times. If you have a complaint, complain to me and I will make sure it’s taken care of, but don’t stand in the middle of a hotel and throw a really big fit. The worst thing you can say to me when you’ve called me two weeks before Christmas in a normal year and I tell you that there’s no availability is, ‘Just tell them who I am.’” – Bobbie Abood, travel consultant, All-Travel, Los Angeles

Deal Seekers Gravitate Toward Carnival
Among cruise-goers most concerned with the bottom line of which agent can get them the lowest price for the cruise they’re interested in, Carnival, Cunard and Viking River Cruises are the most popular cruise lines within their respective categories. Based on actual consumer quote requests and transactions taking place on CruiseCompete.com, Carnival tops the list of “premium” cruise lines, while Cunard tops “luxury” and Viking heads the “River Cruise” pack. But while Carnival is the most popular line in the premium category, the Allure of the Seas is the most popular premium ship, followed by the Carnival Dream. Cunard ships – the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria – take the top two spots in the luxury segment, while AMAWATERWAYS’s AMA Dolce tops the River Cruise category.

Luxury Spending on Travel on the Rise
Among luxury consumers there is a general feeling that things are getting better, and as they feel better, luxury consumers are spending more. In fact, according to Unity Marketing, which administers the Luxury Consumption Index, affluent consumers backed up their confidence in the economy by spending 4.1% more on luxury goods and services in the fourth quarter of last year, as compared with the same period the year before. Categories that posted the strongest growth year-over-year included: high-end kitchen appliances, like food processors, juicers and espresso machines; big budget electronic items including high-end TVs for home and personal electronics; and travel, where demand for luxury cruises is strong.

Clients Come First
“As an agent, we have the best of all worlds. We’re a partner to the cruise lines, and we’re the advocate to our customers. But my customer, which is also the cruise line customer, is my first priority. Not my pocket, not the cruise line’s pocket, my customer. I will do anything within my power, battle and spend time to protect my customer’s interest.” – Al Richman, franchise owner, CruiseOne, Hollywood, Fla.

Authenticity Still Buzz Word for Affluent
What inspires the affluent to travel continues to be the illusive concept of “authentic experiences.” A full three-quarters of Virtuoso agents surveyed for the group’s 2011 Luxe Report reported authentic experiences are the top reason their clients have for traveling. But authentic doesn’t necessarily translate into adventure. In fact, 68% of agents said their clients want rest and relaxation, while only 24% said their clients want adventure. Also high on the list of reasons for wanting to travel are: spending time with or reconnecting with loved ones (48%); personal enrichment (43%); and discovering new experiences in previously visited destinations (24%).

Got the Creeps – or the Creepy Crawlies?
Are your clients freaked out by the thought of bringing home some unwanted visitors from their travels? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, they’ve got reason to be. A bed bug infestation, unprecedented in scope, is slowly spreading across the U.S. These little critters can now be found in hotels, resorts and retail stores throughout the U.S. Fear of bed bugs is also spreading, so much so that the Apple App Store even offers nine different iPhone apps, each tracking the latest epidemics and naming purportedly infested hotels, resorts and shops. In Ypartnership’s most recent travelhorizons survey, 31% of American travelers said they are “very/extremely” concerned about the possibility of being bitten by a bed bug on a future stay in a hotel or resort, while 29% said they are somewhat concerned.

In-Room Adult Movies No Longer in Demand
Marriott International announced that it’s pulling access to adult movies from all new rooms it opens over the next several years. According to the hotel, the decision is not a moral one, but rather an economic one, driven partly by reduced revenues from pay-per-view adult movies. The move also coincides with an emerging shift in in-room entertainment technology, from video on-demand to Internet on-demand.