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Cruising has taken the industry by storm. Gone are the days of cruise bookings being solely for retirees on a weeklong Caribbean trip aboard a massive ocean liner. Cruising has now become one of the go-to getaways for young couples, families, special occasions, and everything in between! Honeymooners are longing for an intimate, romantic getaway along the Alaskan coastline. Multi-generational families are wanting an adventure sailing through the Greek Isles. Friends are wishing to explore all of the Christmas markets on a European river cruise. The possibilities for every type of traveler are endless when it comes to cruising. Plus, there are many benefits and endless opportunities for you as an advisor to expand and grow your travel business through cruise bookings.
Silversea Antarctica Expedition
The cruise industry has bounced back post-pandemic with its global revenue set to reach $30B by 2024 and it is only going to keep growing. Not only is the industry booming, the commissions and reward opportunities for advisors are higher when booking cruises compared to FITs. Recently, three of Brownell’s own independent travel advisors were awarded the Virtuoso Cruise Icon recognition for 2023 after reaching $1 million in luxury cruise sales within a year!
An added perk: because Brownell has tight-knit partnerships with many luxurious cruise lines like Silversea and Seabourn, our independent advisors earn even higher commissions on cruise bookings compared to other host agencies on average. Plus, those clients that love to cruise tend to take two to three trips annually, adding to your business growth throughout the year.
Regent Seven Seas Splendor
With a FIT, you can spend hours piecing together multiple hotel reservations, flight transfers, dining experiences, tours, and the hundreds of other details that make up an unforgettable itinerary. Planning a cruise has many of those amenities rolled into one luxurious, all-inclusive package and makes for a smoother experience for you and your clients. Brownell independent travel advisors also have the added benefit of our in-house sales support team to help iron out the finer details. Whether it’s help with booking on-land excursions, reserving special dining experiences, or processing transactions, our sales support team makes the process of booking cruises even simpler for you.
Gone are the days where cruises consist of a thousand people on a massive ship bound for the popular islands in the Caribbean. Cruising has evolved to include unique experiences fit for every traveler. Maybe a couple seeks a romantic sailing trip aboard a luxury yacht. Or an adventure seeker wishes to book an expedition cruise to Antarctica or the Galapagos Islands. Or a small group of friends want to sample the wines of the Bordeaux region aboard a river barge that includes 1:1 white glove service. Wherever your clients wish to explore, you have choices to cater to their specific needs without sacrificing luxury.
An added bonus: most high-end cruise fleets contain smaller boats, giving your clients a sense of intimacy and personalization that they would not otherwise get on a larger vessel. The luxury boat sizes also allow your clients to dock at smaller ports that are exclusive to smaller ships, granting them access to private experiences. Perhaps your clients are looking to explore the historical sites of Greece and Turkey or want to experience New Year’s Eve in the Southern Caribbean on a luxury yacht. The opportunities to give your clients the most personalized experience are endless.
Selling cruises is sounding better and better to you now, isn’t it? Good news: it also sounds good to your clients! Once someone cruises for the first time, they are always longing to return to the water and set sail on a new adventure. It’s no surprise that luxury cruise lines have the highest guest satisfaction scores comparatively, yet travelers who cruise tend to be some of the biggest advocates for selling cruises to their friends and family, thus, advocating for your business. With Brownell independent advisors having many close partnerships with luxury cruise lines and access to cruise-specific trainings, we are able to use our knowledge and expertise to create a fully customized, luxury experience for our clients before, during and after the cruise.
EXPLORA I
Cruise lines have taken the traveler experience to a new level. For the traveler that wants to experience everything a ship has to offer, cruise lines like Regent offer exceptional service, cuisine, accommodations, and lively nightlife that will keep them entertained throughout their trip. Other fleets contain a quiet, serene luxury that is sure to put travelers in the Ocean State of Mind (to quote the Explora Journeys mission). With the rise in responsible, eco-conscious travel, many best-in-class cruise lines are adapting quickly without sacrificing comfort or white glove service. A client may prefer oceanic vessels like Silversea Cruises for their multi-generation family. Or a couple is looking for an intimate getaway on a private catamaran. You have the ability to provide those experiences through personalized cruise itineraries.
Many cruise lines limit the amount of customization in their itineraries—going back to that simplicity and fewer planning hours perk for you! Adding in the decisions regarding accommodations, meals, entertainment and activities can be overwhelming for someone new to cruising or someone trying to book a cruise on their own. Clients who wish to have a more unique experience in certain ports or want to add a few extra days before or after their cruise in a certain city tend to be more inclined to book with a travel advisor to make their trip more seamless. Our advisors have the capacity to handle any issue or questions their clients have, have more leverage due to the volume of bookings and connections they have with a cruise line, and can more easily create pre- and post-experiences so travelers enjoy their trip from start to finish.
Clients are not the only one who prefer to book their cruise with a travel advisor. Your connections and sales reps who work for cruise lines love it too! Our cruise partners tell us over and over again how much they enjoy working with Brownell independent advisors who all possess a wealth of knowledge, skill, and passion for the industry. Good partner relationships mean a smoother, more efficient booking experience for you and a better travel experience for your client. Plus, our partners love providing some fun extras for our advisors to give clients which means more chances of rebooking and more profit. Extras could mean a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for honeymooners in their cabin or a room upgrade for a family of four. Partner relationships are a great way to exceed expectations for your clients and lead to future growth. Are you ready to set sail and begin cruise booking?