From Oceans to Rivers: Agents Expand Into River Cruising

Cruise specialists can reap big rewards by adding river cruise lines to their portfolios.

The move into river cruising  makes sense for several reasons: Changing consumer perceptions, greater outreach by river cruise lines, and higher commissions.

Travel Market Report spoke with travel agents and river cruise executives about transitioning into the river cruise market. The consensus: There’s never been a better time for agents to diversify beyond their “ocean-only” business.

Better informed clients
Not long ago, clients tended to give Mary E. Ray, CTC, a puzzled look when she suggested river cruises. Things are different now.

“Everyone knows something about river cruises. They’ve captured a lot of attention lately, which is good news for agents,” said Ray of AAA Naperville in Naperville, Ill.

Dora Bitsos, manager of Travel Leaders in Omaha, Neb., said she sees clients who are seasoned cruisers on mega-ships progressing naturally to river cruises.

“When you’ve experienced the Caribbean and the exotics, you start asking about other options,” said Bitsos.

“I think that’s a big reason why river cruising is hot right now. It’s like a new secret that everyone has discovered, especially the affluent baby boomer.”

Supplier advertising
One unexpected factor that’s shined the spotlight on river cruising is a British TV series about a stately home and its aristocratic inhabitants.

“The Viking River Cruise ads on ‘Downton Abbey’ are having an unbelievable effect on sales,” said Sharon Turnau, CTC, co-founder of Landmark Travel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a member of the Signature Travel Network.

Indeed, even competing lines are grateful for the ‘Downton Abbey’ popularity bump.

“Let’s face it. The show became a phenomenon and Viking’s gamble paid off enormously,” said Marilyn Conroy, executive vice president of David Morris International. The company oversees North American sales efforts for A-ROSA River Cruises.

“The ads are also increasing awareness of river cruising in general. That’s good for the whole industry,” Conroy said.
 
Agents’ changing perceptions
Ray believes that river cruises can be an easy sell, “if presented right to the client.”

“The satisfaction level with river cruises is much higher than with ocean cruises. But it’s hard for agents to leave their comfort zones if they’re only used to selling ocean cruises, or if they’ve never done a river cruise themselves,” said Ray.

Travel specialist Missy Skoog of Travel Leaders in Blaine, Minn., changed her mind about river cruises as soon as she experienced one.

“I’m under 40, so my perception of river cruise was that it was all for older people. But I walked onboard and realized that wasn’t true.”

Quite an education
“I never imagined what a learning experience you can have onboard,” Skoog said.

“In one week I learned about Van Gogh, ate escargot and rabbit. It was pretty amazing from an agent’s perspective.”  

What’s more, Skoog was able to inspect a number of other river cruise vessels besides her own.

“Whenever we were docked in tandem with other ships, I showed them my agent business card,” she said. “I was able to tour four other river cruise ships. It was quite an education in only one week on the rivers.”

River cruise lines’ reach out
River cruise lines are investing more on marketing, education and outreach and that’s also made it easier for agents to make the transition.

With a record number of ships set to debut in 2014 and 2015, river cruise lines, after all, have more ships than ever to fill.

“We’re in a cold-weather state, so we sell a lot of ocean cruises. But our river cruise business doubled because the lines are doing more and more marketing in our area,” Skoog said.

The relationship
The fact that river cruise lines are still trying to promote awareness makes them easier to work with than ocean lines in some ways, agents said.

“The river lines are much more accessible,” according to Turnau.

“They go out of their way to be very relationship-oriented. It’s still very old school, like doing business with people you know.”

User-friendly collateral is another factor in river cruise lines’ favor.

“A lot of ocean lines are doing away with the printed brochures. But the river cruise clientele isn’t comfortable with an e-brochure,” said Skoog.

“It’s such a visual product, with panoramic landscapes. River cruise lines do a fantastic job with brochures and DVDs that really show off the ships and the scenery.”

Higher commissions
Agents need only look to their pocketbooks for another reason to sell river cruises.  

“Commissions on [ocean] cruise ship sales usually range from $85 to $200 per booking. But river cruise commissions start at $1,000. Why would you not sell into that market?” asked Skoog.

For Skoog, developing a river cruise specialty goes hand-in-hand with a desire to tap into the luxury market.

“It’s perfect for clients who want escorted tours but in a more relaxed atmosphere; they’re not changing hotels every day. I’m always looking at my existing cruise clientele to see who’s a good candidate for the rivers,” she said.

River cruising also fits in with Skoog’s loftier goals.

“I became an agent because I think it’s important for everyone to see the world,” she said.

“Some clients would simply cruise the same area over and over on a big ship. River cruising really gets them to the heart of a destination,”