cruise trade news september 2013

ISSUE 43 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | £3.75

SPECIAL REPORT

Princess Cruises'Paul Ludlow is

With this issue:

MakingWaves

Cultural andexplorationcruises

NationalCruiseWeek

2014 Cruise Preview

2 | CRUISE TRADE NEWS | ISSUE 41 | JUNE 2013

Discover more by land & sea

A world away from ordinary cruisingFor brochures, sales and training, contact your Sales Executive:The South: Polly Lyons, tel: 0778 700 5775The North, Scotland, and N. Ireland: Sue Cragg, tel: 0776 076 8995The Midlands: Hayley Anderson, Tel: 0778 534 4010Agency sales, tel: 01858 588406

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WELCOME | CTN

3SEPTEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 43 | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

Letter from the Editor

With signs that the UKeconomy may finally bepicking itself up off the floor,

there’s hope that more disposable incomewill become available for holidays ingeneral and cruises in particular.

That’s why the sixth annual NationalCruise Week is more important than everwith its objective of getting ‘Britain andIreland Cruising’ through a focus ondestinations and experiences both onboard ship and ashore.

The challenge for the cruise industryis to get prices up while still producingtempting offers to the public.

The dilemma is highlighted in a pollby www.bonvoyage.co.uk (see p6). Theagency found that the average fare now is£1,248, or 22% less than the £1,600 paidin 2008 – a reduction of almost a quarter.A rise in last-minute deals contributed tothe dilution in prices and consumerconcerns about added costs when onboard ship. Yet one perceptible benefitwas attracting first-time cruisers, withalmost a quarter of people saying lowerfares have encouraged them to book.

I was surprised to find a goodsprinkling of so-called cruise virgins onQueen Mary 2 when I sailed the Atlanticon the Cunard flagship in August,together with a surprisingly high numberof families – mind you it was during theschool holidays. Attractive pricing willhave encouraged some but it seemed that

the majority had paid top dollar for theirseven-night transatlantic crossing.It was also good to hear from PrincessCruises’ UK director Paul Ludlow thatbusiness for 2014 is looking healthy,reflecting an upswing in consumerconfidence. He’s been charged withdriving prices up – an unenviablechallenge at the best of times – yet onehe believes has led to mutually profitablecommercial rapport with the tradeassisted by an expanded 12-strongdedicated sales force and an all-important raising of commissions.

A focus on destinations, exemplaryservice and quality cuisine may seem asimple enough equation but can falldown without a constancy of delivery.

The task for agents is to effectivelycommunicate that message to securebookings at prices that result insustainable profits for themselves and the cruise lines they choose to work with.

Phil Davies [email protected]

National Cruise Weekis almost upon us withagents in the front linepushing the benefits toencourage consumersto opt for holidays onthe water – eitherocean or river.

Published by Cruiseworthy Media10 Tadorne Road, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5TD, United Kingdom.Keith Ellis: Publisher/Managing [email protected]: +44 (0) 1737 812411Mob: 07802 256275

Trudy Redfern: Commercial [email protected]: 07766 426627Phil Davies: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1747 828695Jane Archer: News [email protected] Ellis Creative: Design & ProductionTel: +44 (0) 1444 [email protected]

Material in this publication is the copyright of the title publisher and may notbe reproduced without written permissionof the publisher.

Annual subscription (six issues) £22.50,including UK postage. Single issue £3.75post free. Details from the publisher’s office above.

CONTENTS4-9 Cruise Industry News10-11 Luxury Cruise Expo12-15 River Cruise News16-17Making Waves withPrincess Cruises' Paul Ludlow18 Royal Princess review19 Princess Cruises 2014 programme21-31 Cultural and Exploration Cruises32-33 New to Cruise –Amadeus Cruise Shop34 Independent Voice with agent Scott Anderson35 Industry Opinion with CLIA’s Christine Duffy36 Marie Celeste

CTN | NEWS

4 | CRUISE TRADE NEWS | ISSUE 43 | SEPTEMBER 2013

A book of culinary cruise experiences to whet customers’ appetites is beingdistributed to agents for National Cruise Week.

Produced by Clia UK & Ireland, the book,‘Come Cruise With Us’, highlights diningoptions from 26 cruise lines such asFred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ afternoon teaand Carnival Cruise Lines’ Guy Fieriburgers.

The aim is to give agentsammunition to talk cruise to clients,especially those who have not trieda holiday at sea.

Clia UK & Ireland director AndyHarmer said it could be the first ofseveral books produced to getagents ‘engaging’ with clients, withentertainment, enrichment and ports amongother possible ‘talking points’.

“Agents can use the stories or pictures inthe book to help overcome misconceptionsand bring the cruise experience to life,” he said.

Clia UK & Ireland is also repeating its call foragents to host cupcake-orientated afternoontea events for National Cruise Week, which isnow in its sixth year and happens to start asNational Cupcake Week ends.

Harmer said: “We need to make it easy foragents to engage with their

customers. We had recorddemands for promotionalpacks last year and expect thesame this year. For the first timewe also have National CruiseWeek bunting for agents to hangin their shops.”

He added: “National CruiseWeek is really about changingattitudes, raising awareness andgetting first-timers interested in

taking a cruise. There is a commercial side,and if cruise lines want to promote it as wellthat’s great, but realistically it will take peoplelonger than a week to decide.”

National Cruise Week runs untilSeptember 29.

Around 250 agents and 150 suppliers will bearriving in Liverpool this week for the secondColumbus Day cruise conference aimed atthe industry’s senior executives.

The event, organised by Clia UK & Ireland,features an impressive line up of speakers andbusiness leaders to talk about the cruiseindustry and also give insights into retailingand consumer dynamics.

They include Celebrity Cruises presidentand chief executive officer Michael Bayley(pictured), Fred Olsen managing directorNathan Philpot, entrepreneur Jo Malone andMSC Cruises’ corporate operating officer Neil Palomba.

Clia UK & Ireland director Andy Harmersaid the Lord Mayor of Liverpool will beadding his welcome to the city, Clia presidentChristine Duffy will be talking about her visionfor a global cruise association and there willbe some ‘surprise’ speakers.

“It’s a fantastic line-up of businessspeakers who will give delegates plenty ofinsights into sales opportunities, trends andstrategy,” he said.

Harmer said numbers are slightly up onthe 380 who attended the first Columbus Daylast year, which was held in Birmingham.

“I think Liverpool is a good selling point. Itshows we are not just southern-orientated

and strengthens talk about the importance ofcruising from regional port cities,” he added.

The one-day conference, on September19, will be followed by a gala dinner and CliaUK & Ireland’s agent achievement awards, inLiverpool’s ornate St George’s Hall.

›› See p35 for Christine Duffy column.

Columbus Day hitsMersey shores

Life of RileyThe last few months have been a busy timefor the cruise industry, with significantgrowth through ship launches and plenty ofsales opportunities through new initiatives.

Agents continue to be at the heart of cruisedistribution and helping agents to selleffectively remains key. Research clearlypoints to destination rather than price as themost important factor when customers arepicking a cruise, so knowing as much abouta destination as possible can go a long wayin closing the sale.

Under Norwegian’s Partners Firstinitiative we have launched our destinationfocus campaign. Each month we will focuson a different destination, providing factsheets, links to destination websites andchances to win great prizes. This will aim toprovide facts and information to help you sellcruise to existing and new customers. Visitthe website atwww.ncl.co.uk/agents/destinations.

With the end of the summer and the kidsback to school, customers are going to startthinking now about their winter holidays.There are many reasons to choose a cruisein winter, including new destinations on offer.For families, couples and “empty nesters”wanting a winter getaway, a cruise to Europeis an appealing option.

Cruising Europe in the winter offers manyadvantages in terms of less crowdeddestinations and more time seeing the sitesand when looking for some short-haul wintersun, cruises to the Canaries and Moroccoare a fantastic option.

Taking stock of this, Norwegian hasintroduced the 9-night Canary Islands fromBarcelona on board Norwegian Spirit and 10and 11-night cruise options from Rome onNorwegian Jade during the winter months.Cruisers can visit a multitude of destinationswith a short flight from the UK.

With destinations in mind, I can’t let mycolumn end without mentioning theupcoming launch of Norwegian Getawaywhich will take the best of Miami to sea.Sailing Eastern Caribbean itineraries fromFebruary 2014, the new ship will featureexciting innovations such as the Illusionariumand the Grammy Experience.

Watch this space for more announce-ments coming soon!

Until next time,

Francis RileyVice President and GeneralManager InternationalNorwegian Cruise Line

National Cruise Week kicks off

Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea hasexpanded its exploration fleet with the long-term charter of a third ship.

The 128-passenger Clipper Odyssey willbe renamed Silver Discoverer and join the fleetnext March after a multi-million-dollarrefurbishment.

It will be based in the Pacific in summerand South East Asia in winter for at least threeyears, sailing around remote islands in theRussian Far East and to the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic, as well as spending six weeks in theKimberley in Australia.

Silver Discoverer will carry 12 inflatableZodiacs and a glass-bottomed boat; and havean 11-strong expedition team.

The ship, built in Japan in 1989, has latterlybeen operating for Zegrahm Expeditions. It has64 suites, ranging from rooms with portholes toeight Veranda and one Medallion suite, all withbalconies.

Silversea is adding a gym, pool grill andsmall spa, refreshing the lounges and diningareas to bring them up to its six-star standards,and updating the bathrooms.

Silver Explorer, which joined the fleet in 2008,sails the polar regions and the company startsseven-night island-hopping cruises on theSilver Galapagos this month.

Silversea director of expedition cruisesConrad Combrink said: “We are two distinctbrands. Silversea Cruises, which offers theclassical cruise experience, and SilverseaExpeditions, which is driven by the destina-tions and the expedition team on board. It is for people who want to see remote places incomfort. They are not necessarily younger than passengers on our classic ships but they are active.”

Silversea UK general manager MikeBonner said exploration passengers are notlooking for a cruise, but they do want to visitunusual destinations.

“Agents should not be looking just to theircruise database to sell this product,” he added.

Prices start at £5,950 per person cruise-only for a cruise in the Kimberley. In 2015, it willalso be cruising the South Pacific.›› See Cultural and exploration cruisefeature, page 21.

NEWS | CTN

5NEWS | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

NEWS | CTN

Norwegianaxes GetawayinauguralNorwegian Cruise Lines has cancelled theFebruary 1 inaugural Caribbean cruise fromMiami on new ship Norwegian Getawaybecause the vessel has been chartered toprovide accommodation for the Super Bowl.

The ship should have been sailing a 16-day cruise from Rotterdam to Miami onJanuary 16, with a stop in Southampton toembark passengers. Instead, it will be sailing a10-day cruise from Southampton to New York.

Norwegian hasn’t confirmed details of thecharter, which runs from January 29 toFebruary 5, but it gave massive hints - and thedates happen to coincide with the lead up tothe 2014 Super Bowl at the MetLife Stadium inNew Jersey on February 2.

The ship’s inaugural Eastern Caribbeancruise will now depart Miami on February 8.

The 4,000-passenger Norwegian Getawaywill be similar to sister ship NorwegianBreakaway, which launched this year, but withdifferent entertainment and hull art to reflect itsMiami base.

Norwegian has also bumped passengersoff Norwegian Jade’s sailings from February 5-25 because the ship has been chartered byTUI Travel to be a floating hotel during theWinter Olympics in Sochi, in Russia.

Seven ships have been chartered toprovide accommodation.

Up to 100 jobs are to go at Royal CaribbeanCruises’ Surrey offices under plans toconsolidate its 11 call centres worldwide into three locations - in Guatemala, Romaniaand Holland.

All three will be operated by call centrespecialist Xerox. Guatemala will handle bookingsfor Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club Cruises,but a separate team dedicated to Celebrity UKand Ireland will be set up in the UK.

The world’s second largest cruise companyalso announced it will be developing RoyalCaribbean International, Celebrity Cruises andAzamara Club Cruises as three separate brandsin the UK and Ireland.

Jo Rzymowska, currently associate vice-president and general manager for RoyalCaribbean Cruise Line, becomes managingdirector UK and Ireland for Celebrity

Cruises in January 2014. The company is currently recruiting heads

for Royal Caribbean International andAzamara.

Dominic Paul continues as vice-presidentfor Europe, Middle East and Africa across allthree brands.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said thechanges are a result of the brands’ growth inthe UK and will “best position each cruise linefor future development through the creation ofbrand-specific sales, revenue and marketingfunctions”.

It is the first time outside the US that itsbrands have been given “such commitment,focus and investment,” the company added.

Royal Caribbean has begun consultationswith employees who are set to lose their jobsunder the changes.

Call centre jobs cut in RoyalCaribbean consolidation

Silversea expandsexploration fleet

Carnival Cruise Lines’ next new ship will becalled Carnival Vista. The 4,000-passengervessel, the company’s 25th ‘fun ship’, will bebuilt by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and isdue to launch in 2016.

Compagnie du Ponant has introduced a newonline booking system for the trade. Theportal, at en.ponant.com/travel-agent-centre,gives agents live access to Ponant’s cruisesand availability, as well as latest fares andpromotions.

Holland America Line has launched a 12-daycruise to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in World War Two. The voyage,from Civitavecchia to Copenhagen, departsApril 29 and calls at Cherbourg on May 8. Theactual landings took place on June 6, 1944.

Hurtigruten is offering two new ArcticWilderness Adventure cruises in Greenland inJune and July 2014. The voyages are round-trip from Kangerlussuaq and include visits tosmall settlements and a chance to visit theIlulissat icefjord. Prices start at £4,900 perperson excluding international flights.

MSC Cruises is to run four autumn cruisesfrom Southampton on MSC Magnifica in 2014.The seven-night sailings will visit Zeebrugge(for Bruges), Amsterdam, Hamburg and LeHavre. Prices lead in at £429 per personincluding free port car parking or a NationalExpress coach transfer to Southampton.

Premier Holidays has added a tailor-madecruising section to its 2014 Faraway brochure.The section features selected ocean voyagesin Asia with Celebrity Cruises and OrientExpress Hotels’ river cruises on theAyeyarwady in Myanmar. Premier’s USA andCanada brochure has added cruises withNorwegian Cruise Lines and Holland AmericaLine.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has launched its2014/15 brochure featuring cruises on MarcoPolo - which is 50 years old in 2015 - andDiscovery from eight regional ports includingTilbury, Edinburgh and Greenock. Discounts ofup to 45% are available for early bookings untilOctober 31.

The keel for Royal Caribbean International’snew ship Quantum of the Seas was laid in aceremony at the Meyer-Werft shipyard inPapenburg last month. At the same time, thefirst steel for sister ship Anthem of the Seaswas cut. The ships are due to launch inautumn 2014 and spring 2015 respectively.

CTN | NEWS IN BRIEF


SeaDream Yacht Club will be sailing a debut no-fly cruise from the UK next year as part of a newprogramme of cruises in the Baltic and Norwegian fjords.

The 112-passenger SeaDream I will be sailing a 14-night cruise round-trip from Dover departingAugust 16 that transits the Kiel Canal and stays three days in St Petersburg.

The ship will also be visiting Bornholm and Faaborg in Denmark, Visby in Gotland, Tallinn andRuegen Island in Germany. Prices start at £5,832 per person cruise-only.

SeaDream sailed a debut season in Northern Europe in 2011 but has not been back after a repeatsummer selection of cruises in 2012 was cancelled.

In all, SeaDream I will be operating five cruises in the Baltic and three voyages to the Norwegianfjords, sailing from Copenhagen to Bergen and vice-versa on July 16 and 26, and from Copenhagen toDover via Bergen on August 6.

Prices start at £3,349 per person for a seven-night voyage round-trip from Stockholm on June 21that visits Helsinki, Tallinn and the Mariehamn, and spend three days in St Petersburg.

The cost of a cruise has fallen by 22% overthe past five years, research by online cruiseagency Bonvoyage.co.uk has shown.

The findings come from a survey of its ownsite statistics from the past three years as well asa poll of 1,274 people who cruised five yearsago and booked a cruise for this year or in 2014.

The results show the average price of acruise in 2008 was £1,600 per person, whilenow it is £1,248, or 22% less, with the biggestdrop – 19% – occurring since 2011, when thesite was launched.

Bonvoyage said cruise lines were trying tolure bookings with lower fares but making up forthe shortfall in revenue by charging more on-

board for spa treatments, speciality dining and drinks.

However, it added that 46% of those polledsaid they would be a lot more wary of addedcosts on board a cruise, as well as the perceivedvalue of amenities, compared to this time fiveyears ago.

Almost one-third (31%) said they hadnoticed improvements in food andentertainment quality despite the lower fares,while 22% said service levels had risen over thepast five years.

Almost one-quarter (24%) of respondentssaid they were encouraged to book a cruisebecause of the lower prices.

Cruise prices tumble

SeaDream back to the Baltic

7MARIE CELESTE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

Location: L:\Work Folders\4413_CTN-Sep_What-Norwegian_FP-Ad\4413_CTN-Sep_What-Norwegian_FP-Ad

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PARTNERS FIRST: www.ncl.co.uk/agents/partners-first

EXPLORE: www.ncl.co.uk/agents

LEARN: www.nclu.co.uk

BOOK: 0845 201 8900

NCL_UK Norwegian Cruise Line UK

DISCOVER MORE AT: www.ncl.co.uk/agents

That’s what we want you to ask your customers. Because with Norwegian Cruise Line holidays

there’s just so much included, like superb accommodation, 24-hour dining with lots of

complimentary choices, star-studded entertainment and a new destination to explore almost

every day. Plus with an up to $400 per stateroom on board spend your customers can find out

exactly what type of Norwegian they are by splashing out on those indulgent little extras.

*On board spend per stateroom is applicable to new bookings only made between 02 September and 30 September 2013. On board spend is applicable to selected sailings from Jan 14 - April 15. On board spend for applicable sailings of 3-5 nts is $50 per stateroom for Studios, $50 per stateroom for Insides & Oceanviews, $75 per stateroom for Balcony & Mini Suites, $100 per stateroom for Suites. On board spend for applicable sailings of 6-13 nts is $100 per stateroom for Studios, $125 per stateroom for Insides & Oceanviews, $150 per stateroom for Balcony & Mini Suites, $200 per stateroom for Suites. On board spend for applicable sailings of 14 nts & longer is $150 per stateroom for Studios, $150 per stateroom for Insides & Oceanviews, $200 per stateroom for Balcony & Mini Suites, $400 per stateroom for Suites. On board spend has no monetary value, is non-transferable and some on board activities may incur a surcharge. It may not

conditions &Norwegian Cruise Line Booking Conditions apply – please see www.ncl.co.uk/agents. ©2013 NCL Corporation LTD Ship’s Registry: Bahamas and United States of America. 4413.08.13

CTN | NEWS


Destination-focused cruise line Voyages toAntiquity is offering new cruise-and-safariholidays at the start of a winter programmein Asia in 2014/15.

Passengers will visit both Tsavo andAmboseli National Parks in Kenya on all threeitineraries, either at the start or end of theircruises, with game drives and overnight staysin the parks included in the cost.

UK managing director David Yellow said:“You cannot go to India and not see the TajMahal or to Bangkok and not go to AngkorWat, so we include trips to both in ouritineraries. It is the same with Kenya. Youcannot go there and not go on safari.

“We are known for cultural cruises thatvisit ancient civilisations in the Mediterranean;now we are also offering the natural wondersof East Africa.”

The line’s ship, Aegean Odyssey, headseast on November 20, 2014, offering a 25-day

cruise from Piraeus (for Athens) to Mombasa.There is also an Indian Ocean cruise round-trip from Mombasa and a 22-day Christmasand New Year voyage from Mombasa toColombo in Sri Lanka.

Other programme highlights include areturn to Myanmar, a 21-day voyage throughIndonesia with a day in Komodo, and a 20-day cruise tour from Bangkok to Singaporewith three nights in the Thai capital, two nightsin Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat and twonights in Singapore.

Prices start at £3,695 per personincluding flights and transfers for a 16-dayvoyage round-trip from Singapore that visitsMalaysia and Thailand, and spends three daysin Yangon. The price also includes mostsightseeing, wine, beer or soft drinks withdinner and gratuities.

Yellow said: “It’s not expensive when youlook at what is included. Others charge extra

for land-based sightseeing. We include it and charge at cost rather than use it as aprofit base.”

Egypt calls cancelled

Voyages to Antiquity has been forced tocancel calls in Egypt as the crisis in thecountry deepens.

The line was due to be in Alexandriaovernight, for a visit to the pyramids, on itsMarch 22 cruise next year. Instead there willbe a three-day visit to Haifa, in Israel, with anovernight trip to Jerusalem.

Israel will also replace Egypt on aCrusades-themed cruise next October andon the Aegean Odyssey’s voyage from theMediterranean to East Africa in November2014.

›› See p30/31

Voyages to Antiquity returns to Asia

Thomson cancelsRed Sea in Egypt crisisThomson Cruises has finally bowed to theinevitable and cancelled its winter cruisesin the Red Sea on Thomson Majesty as thecrisis in Egypt worsens.

The line initially only shortened Majesty’sRed Sea season, replacing its cruises fromSharm el Sheikh with new voyages fromMalaga in February and March 2014.

However, in a statement the TUI Travelline said it had now “regretfully” decided topull out of the region altogether.

The company said: “The safety of ourcustomers is always our number one priority,but as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against all but essentialtravel to Cairo and Luxor we are also not ableto offer an excursion programme to thePyramids and Valley of the Kings, which weknow our passengers would want toexperience.”

MSC Cruises pulled its Red Sea seasonon MSC Armonia in July, replacing it with twonew seven-night itineraries in the CanaryIslands, while Costa Cruises cancelled itsvoyages in the region in early August, as wellas dropping Port Said and Alexandria from itsMediterranean itineraries this autumn.

Costa has replaced its Red Sea cruiseswith seven-night voyages in the United ArabEmirates sailing round-trip from Dubai. In theMed, the line has replaced its Egypt calls withlonger stays in Ashdod and Haifa, in Israel.

Redfern takes roleat CruiseworthyFormer Silversea UK boss Trudy Redfernhas joined Cruiseworthy Media Group,which publishes Cruise Trade News, ascommercial director.

She is responsible for building a businessstrategy for the company’s three publications,CTN, Cruise Ports and Destinations andStowaway.

Redfern has more than 30 years’experience in the travel industry, having heldsenior positions at Gold Medal Travel Group,Emirates Tours and Worldchoice. She wasSilversea managing director UK, Ireland,Middle East and Nordic between 2004 and 2011.

Since leaving Silversea, she has beenworking as a consultant to the Port ofLiverpool, Liverpool City Council and CruiseWales.

Redfern said her initial focus will be toreview and expand the magazines’distribution channels and partnershipopportunities, as well as developing an e-marketing and social media strategy forCruiseworthy Media.

Adventurer signs to makecruising cool Adventurer Ben Fogle has been castaway ona Scottish island, raced across the Antarcticand trekked the Sahara, and now he hastaken on a new challenge – to make cruisinglook cool. In his new role as CelebrityCruises’ Destination Expert, he has filmed aselection of destination guides and next yearwill be launching a series of Ben Fogleinspired shore excursions.

NEWS | CTN


Short cruisesscheduledfor Europa 2New Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ ship Europa 2will be sailing four ‘taster’ cruises in theNorth Sea and Baltic in June 2014 for first-timers who do not want to commit too muchtime and money to a debut holiday at sea.

The new short cruises, priced from £1,560per person cruise-only, take the ship fromHamburg to Kiel, stopping at Oslo andCopenhagen, on June 7, on two voyagesround-trip from Kiel, and then back toHamburg, calling at Copenhagen andGothenburg.

The ship’s 2014-15 programme, whichwent on sale this month, also includes fiveseven-night cruises between Barcelona andCivitavecchia (for Rome) in July and Augustwith different itineraries in each direction sothey can be combined into a two-weekvoyage.

There are also two sailings betweenValletta and Venice and late-summercruises between Piraeus (for Athens) andIstanbul, and Piraeus and Beirut.

A one-week cruise round-trip fromIstanbul on October 4 takes Europa 2 intothe Black Sea for the first time, with callsat Sochi in Russia, and Yalta, Sevastopoland Odessa in the Ukraine.

The ship makes its debut transatlanticcrossing in November sailing to New Yorkand then Miami, from where it will besetting off on a counter-clockwise voyagearound South America.

The trip is available as a 76-day cruisepriced or in sectors of up to 19 days.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises launchedEuropa 2 in May to offer a casual ‘modernluxury’ alternative to the company’s moreformal Europa. Every departure on Europa2 is bilingual German-English, and thereare multiple restaurants, all open seating.

A small kids’ club for children agedtwo to 10 years old and a teen area for11-15 year olds are in operation duringschool holidays.

Cunard unveils 2015world cruisesCunard is marking its 175th anniversary in 2015 with three world cruises that will take shipsmore than 100,000 nautical miles.

They will,call at 83 ports in 46 countries and end with all three ships arriving into Southamptontogether for celebrations on May 3, 2015.

Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will be setting off on their global circumnavigations togetheron January 10, 2015 while Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will be in Sydney together on March12, 2015. Prices start at £10,499 per person sailing on Queen Victoria.

Queen Mary 2 is sailing a 113-night voyage that includes a circumnavigation of New Zealandand will be in Sanya in China - one of four maiden ports of call - for the Chinese New Year.

Queen Elizabeth is offering a 112-night round the world voyage that includes three overnightstays in San Francisco and Hong Kong, and a sail past Gallipoli on Anzac Day on April 24, to mark100 years since the end of the ill-fated campaign there during the World War One.

Queen Victoria will be away for 103 nights and visit five maiden ports including Bora Bora inFrench Polynesia, Puerto Limon in Costa Rica and San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua.

Ex-Costa Cruises president Gianni Onoratohas joined Italian rival MSC Cruises as chiefexecutive officer.

Former chief executive PierfrancescoVago has stepped up to become executivechairman.

Vago will continue to lead the privately-owned cruise company, while “scaling upthe scope” of his duties, MSC said.

MSC confirmed in July that formerCarnival UK sales and customer deliverydirector Giles Hawke would join as UKmanaging director on November 13.

The chief operating officer of All LeisureGroup’s Swan Hellenic and Voyages ofDiscovery cruise brands left the companylast month (August) after less than fourmonths.

Former Royal Caribbean and IslandCruises UK boss Patrick Ryan resigned,cited personal reasons.

Ryan joined All Leisure in May, reportingto group chief executive Ian Smith.

Swan Hellenic and Voyages ofDiscovery fleet operations director StuartHorne assumed the majority of Ryan’sresponsibilities on an interim basis, with theexception of itinerary planning and pricingwhich report to Smith.

Lisa Clarkson has taken up the the newly-created role of national account manager atOceania Cruises as the line seeks toestablish a nationwide high street presencefor the brand. She moved from RoyalCaribbean International.

UK and Europe managing director forBernard Carter said: “In this, the year of ourtenth anniversary we are entering a new era,not only for the UK but globally. Theappointment of the national accountmanager role shows ourparticular commitmentto the UK – a marketthat has shown greatsupport for OceaniaCruises since our veryearly days.”

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Holland America Line is giving away 50 packsof Signature white tulips, bred by the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens in Holland, tocelebrate its 140th anniversary, in an exclusivecompetition in partnership with CTN.

To be in with a chance of winning, all youhave to do is answer this simple question: In which year did Holland America Line startoperating as the Netherlands-AmericaSteamship company?

Email your answer, along with your full postaladdress, to: [email protected] packs of seven bulbs will be sent to the first 50 agents with the correct answer.Closing date for entries is September 30, 2013.

Competition

Be a winnerwith HollandAmerica Line

CTN | NEWS


Agents on aSea of Luxury

Enjoying the sun, from left: Norman Hay,GoCruise; Gary Jenkins, GoCruise; Emma Taylor,

Crystal Cruises; Peter Ruck, Baldwins Travel.

Relaxing by the pool, from left: MargaretFurlonge, Relaxing Travel; Bob Moore, Crystal

Cruises; Kevin Shelly, Relaxing Travel.

Taking a break, from left: Alan Hubbard, Can Am Travel;Joanne Imeson, Crystal Cruises; Gwendoline Hubbard,Can Am Travel.

Three’s company, from left: Philip Ordever, Crystal Cruises;

Stuart Perl, Luxus Travel, Mick Dupont, Crystal Cruises.

It was a lucky coincidence that both theCrystal Cruises ships – Crystal Serenity andCrystal Symphony – were in Dover togetherfor the first time this month, providing theideal venue for Clia UK & Ireland to hold itsdebut Luxury Cruise Expo.

Around 100 agents turned out for the two-day event, which included tours of bothCrystal ships and an afternoon of conferencesessions on Crystal Serenity.

On day two, some 20 cruise lines andlocal luxury suppliers held a workshop inDover’s Terminal Two, and agents also had achance to visit Seabourn Sojourn and went ona virtual tour of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’Seven Seas Voyager, which had hosted a shipvisit in Southampton the previous day.

Clia director Andy Harmer said many theagents were new faces, attending their firstCruise Lines International event because theyspecialise in luxury rather than cruise.

Clia UK & Ireland’s firstLuxury Cruise Expo washeld in Dover.

LUXURY CRU ISE EXPO | CTN


Thomas Mazloum

Andy Harmer

James LohanAndrew Magowan

First class service is keyAgents must understand that customers areindividuals with varying needs andrequirements if they are to deliver a first-classservice, a senior vice-president from CrystalCruises told the conference.

Thomas Mazloum, in charge of operationsat Crystal, said ‘new luxury’ is not aboutlavishing attention on people butunderstanding what customers want, forinstance recognising the couple who want tobe ‘invisible’ or the family that wants to belooked after.

He said: “Crystal is all about providingpersonalised service, about getting to knowpassengers and treating them according totheir wishes. We hire crew based on attitudeand train them for their skills. Attitude iseverything and cannot be copied.”

Mazloum offered agents a checklist ofgood practice for providing good service,including:›› Answer your phone.›› Listen to your customers.›› Don’t make promises you can’t keep.›› Deal with complaints immediately.›› Be helpful even if there is no immediate profit.

He said the future is all about managingthe whole service rather than dealing withdifferent product features – in the case ofCrystal, the booking experience, theemergency drill, the disembarkation –in isolation.

Mazioum urged agents to create cross-functional departments and processes tosupport the entire customer experience. “It’ssomething we are working on because thefuture has to be a collaboration across alldepartments. It’s the entire customer cruiseexperience that matters.”

Style can be informalThe type of people who sail with SeaDreamYacht Club don’t consider themselvescruisers, according to UK managing directorAndy Magowan.

He told agents: “It’s yachting not cruising.You all have these clients. That is the type ofperson you should be targeting. They don’tconsider themselves cruisers but they will sailwith us. We have a 61% repeat factor.”

Magowan said SeaDream passengerstypically are affluent and well travelled, theyare discerning people, cultured and seekingsoft adventure, and attracted to SeaDream forits informality.

They want the all-inclusive product for therelaxed atmosphere it creates on board. Theydo not want to be told to wear jackets or whattime to dine.

“Don’t send guests to SeaDream if theywant to dress in the evening or worry what topack. You do not have to tell a SeaDreampassenger what to wear.”

The biggest market for SeaDream is theUS at 48%, with Scandinavia at 20% and theUK at 15%. “That should be 20% to 25% – orat least that’s what my boss tell me.” he said.

Cruises face imageproblem“Cruising has an image problem and needshelp in the way it presents itself,” themanaging director and co-founder of Mr &Mrs Smith hotels told agents.

Admitting he had never been on a cruise,James Lohan said he felt cruising wascoming of age but is still seen as a holidaychoice for old people. And to prove the point,he said that the average age of a Crystalpassenger is 58 years old, while for Mr & MrsSmith it is 40.

Lohan told the conference that disastrousattempts a decade ago to find an upmarketromantic hotel in the UK that delivered what itsaid in the brochure led him to set up Mr &Mrs Smith, which specialises in sellingboutique properties that pay attention todetail and deliver what they promise.

Applying this principle to his audience, hesaid agents must understand what luxurymeans – ‘less flash, more barefoot’ - and beable to talk enthusiastically about it but neverover-promise.

He added: “Never apologise for the price,but highlight what it buys. Put yourself in yourclients’ shoes. It might sound a lot of moneyto you, but they can afford it.”

Lohan said it is important to keep intouch with clients, either once they havereturned from a holiday or if they have notbooked for a while. “Know their birthdays andanniversaries. Be thoughtful and attentive. Goabove and beyond the service levels offeredby other agents.”


CTN | R IVER CRU ISE REVIEW

AmaPrima

AmaPrima launched in Holland inApril, but had to wait until Augustto be officially named because in

2012 AmaWaterways president RudiSchreiner promised the town of Vilshofenthe ceremony would be held there. Thecompany then not only had to wait untilthe ship moved to the Danube, but alsofind a week when there were cabinsavailable for godmother Valerie Wilsonand her family, the owners and otherdignitaries. The vessel is the fourth in itsclass of ship, and boast cabins withbalconies that are half inside and halfoutside and a pool with a swim-up bar.

The styleAmaPrima falls somewhere between thechintzy and Scandinavian minimalist looksappearing on new river cruise vessels thesedays. The décor is modern and youthfulbut comfortable as well, and will appeal toolder clients (who make up the bulk of thepassengers).

AccommodationMore than half the cabins on AmaPrimahave split balconies, half outside, half in,which are AmaWaterways’ solution toproviding a private outside sitting area forpassengers without taking too much spacefrom the cabin. Mine was a category BBcabin on the middle deck with a splitbalcony and I found it worked very welland made the room, although one of thesmallest on the vessel at 210 square feet,feel quite spacious. The bathroom feltsmaller than on some of other new rivercruise boats, but was an ample size. Awindow from the bedroom gave thebathroom some natural light, and thought-fully it could be turned opaque for privacy.Annoyingly though, it didn’t block out thebathroom’s bright night light, which

switched on as soon as movement wasdetected and stayed on for 15 minutes ormore. On the lower deck, there are 17smaller cabins with windows that are highup and therefore no view.

DiningThe dining room is open for buffetbreakfast and lunch (the latter with servedoptions) and waiter-service dinner. Wine,beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinnerare included in the price. There is also aspeciality restaurant, Erlebnis, which isfree, but you can only book a table once soeveryone gets a chance to try it (but ifthere is space I guess you will be allowedback a second time). It’s a fixed menu,which is presented by the chef at the startof the meal (and the sommelier presentsthe wine), but I was impressed that thegalley was able to provide alternativedishes to cater for special diets, even atshort notice.

At leisureThe swimming pool is a brilliant feature –obviously quite small, but it was good tobe able to a cool off when the thermometersoared to 40 degrees – and the swim-upbar was a cute idea but it was rarelyattended. If you get fed up watching thescenery as you sail, there are films on thecabin TVs, free wifi and talks in thelounge. Entertainment is provided eachevening, either by the resident pianist or agroup of local musicians.

ItinerariesAmaPrima starts the 2014 season in Aprilwith seven-night tulip-themed cruises inHolland. It relocates to the Danube in May,where it will be sailing seven and 14-nightitineraries between Rousse in Bulgaria andVilshofen in Germany, and Budapest andVilshofen. A one-week Romantic Danubecruise costs from £1,903 per person cruise-only including excursions departing May22, 2014. www.amawaterways.co.uk

AmaWaterways newest ship, AmaPrima, wasnamed in Vilshofen, Germany, in August by ValerieWilson, chairman and chief executive officer ofNew York-based Valerie Wilson Travel. Jane Archer joined the celebrations.

Quick factsLength: 443 feet, Width: 38 feetPassengers: 164, Crew: 49


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China specialist Wendy Wu Tours will beoffering river cruising on the Ayeyarwady inMyanmar for the first time next year in arebranded selection of holidays in SouthEast Asia.

The company will feature three cruises onthe Ayeyarwady in a separate section of theprogramme to be introduced in December, aswell as a new eight-night voyage on theMekong in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Both itineraries will be on vessels operatedby Pandaw Rover Expeditions. In Myanmar,there could also be cruises on Orient ExpressHotels’ vessel Road to Mandalay.

Wendy Wu product and commercialexecutive Rowan Goldthorp said the cruiseswill be sold as private rather than group tours.

She added: “There is a shortage of hotelsin Myanmar and a lot of demand so a cruise isa good way to see the country.”

Wendy Wu has also expanded the river

cruise options in its 2014-15 Chinabrochure, offering a new 10-day SimplyYangtze tour including three nights on theYangtze sandwiched between time in Beijingand Shanghai, with prices starting at £2,390per person including flights.

A new 15-day Yangtze Splendourholiday with three nights in Beijing, twonights in Shanghai and eight nights’ cruising,leads in at £2,990pp including flights.

Product executive Mike Priest said it isthe first time the operator have had a tourthat includes more time on the river than on land.

“Most clients like to do a river cruise aspart of a wider tour of China as it’s a goodway to have a break from the busy citysightseeing,” he said.

Priest said a quarter of tours in the newprogramme, which is on sale now, include aYangtze river cruise.

Asia rivers expansionfor Wendy Wu

European Waterways has added the eight-passenger hotel barge Absoluut 2 to its 2014portfolio. The vessel is available for full-shipcharters only with prices starting at £22,000for six nights including all meals, drinks andexcursions. The vessel is sailing in Burgundy,between Dijon and Vendenesse.

Pandaw Expedition Cruises is loaning allpassengers on the new Mekong Pandaw afree pre-programmed iPad so they canSkype, surf the internet and watch movieswhile cruising. Daily programmes, dining andspa menus, weather forecasts and in-roomdining options are also available.

CTN | NEWS IN BRIEF

Travel Indochina has expanded its Asia river cruise programme with the addition of 13 newitineraries and two new vessels on the Mekong and Ayeyarwady rivers.

They include Orient Express’ 50-passenger Orcaella, which launched in July and cruisesbetween Bagan and Yangon in Myanmar, as well as along the remote Chindwin River.

New cruise-and-stay packages combine a three-day cruise on the 28-passenger MekongSun, sailing on the upper Mekong in Laos, with two nights’ in Luang Prabang.

Prices start at £3,270 and £1,260 per person cruise-only respectively.New itineraries include a 16-day Enchanting Rivers of Indochina voyage that combines a

cruise on the Mekong from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap with two nights on the Mekong Sunsailing round-trip from Luang Prabang, as well as two nights each at Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh Cityand Luang Prabang.

A new 15-day Emperor’s China and Yangtze River itinerary combines time in Beijing, Xian, tosee the Terracotta Warriors and Shanghai with a six-night river cruise on the Victoria Sophia.

Extra itineraries from Travel Indochina

All-inclusive shift by UniworldUniworld, sold in the UK through TitanTravel, has added three river cruiseitineraries in its 2014 brochure, which alsoincludes details of the line’s new all-inclusiveoffering.

All alcoholic and soft drinks on board willbe included in the price from January, as wellas gratuities. The river cruise line alreadyincludes flights, transfers, shore excursionsand free wifi.

The 2014 brochure, which is in landscapeformat for the first time, also features the newSS Catherine, which will be sailing on theRhône and Saône in France between Lyonand Avignon.

The vessel replaces the River Royale,which moves to Bordeaux, to sail a new eight-day vineyards and chateaux cruise on theGaronne, Gironde and Dordogne rivers,including excursions to the St Emilion andMédoc wine regions.

A new 15-night Portrait of Majestic Franceitinerary combines the Bordeaux cruise with aone-week cruise in the Seine, sailing round-tripfrom Paris on the River Baroness. Prices startat £3,999 per person including flights,transfers, all drinks on board, shore excursionsand gratuities.

In addition, two nights in Prague havebeen added to the end of the Rhine Discoveryand Danube Discovery cruises, making thetrips into a 10-day itinerary. Prices lead in at£2,699pp all-inclusive.

The brochure features a total of 24itineraries including cruises on the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam and on the Yangtzein China.

It’s all in here in black and white: Wendy Wu Tours managing director Lawrence Hicks andfriend launch the new 2014-15 China brochure.

RIVERVIEW NEWS | CTN

15RIVER VIEW NEWS | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

New Christmasriver cruisesShearings has introduced an eight-dayChristmas river cruise on the Rhine sailingfrom Cologne.

The festive trip departs on December21 and visits Königswinter, Koblenz,Rüdesheim, Mainz and Bonn.

Prices start at £799 per person, whichincludes ferry and coach travel from theUK, the five-night full-board cruise and two-nights’ half-board accommodation en route.

The coach company also has a newfive-day ‘New Year on the Rhine’ break,with four nights on a cruise round-trip fromKoblenz. The holiday departs on December29 and costs from £629 per personincluding ferry and coach travel.

The River Cruise Line has alsoexpanded its festive season breaks, with aselection of new cruises.

They include a four-night Rhine ValleyChristmas Markets cruise on December 6from £429 per person and a seven-dayvoyage on the Belgian and Dutchwaterways on December 23 from £669 perperson. Prices are based on travel bycoach and ferry from the UK.

Viking River Cruises, awarded a place in theGuinness Book of Records this year forchristening eight ships on one day, isbreaking its own record and launching 14new river cruise vessels in 2014.

Twelve will be sisters of the 14 new-generation Longships already launched, whiletwo are smaller versions, scaled down to sailon the Douro River in Portugal, which wasnew for Viking this year.

The original Longships hold 192passengers, the Duoro vessels will have acapacity for 128. They are being built byPortuguese company Douro Azul, which ownsmost of the vessels sailing the river.

Viking UK head of sales Neil Barclay saidthe Douro had been popular and the companywas expanding on the Rhone in France, whereit will have three Longships in 2014.

But he added that most people still want tocruise the Rhine and Danube.

Most of the new vessels are based onthese rivers but the company still claims not tohave enough capacity to meet demand.

Barclay said the Longships are sold out onselected key dates on both rivers, with thehigh-end Explorer and Veranda suites alwaysthe first to be booked.

Elsewhere, Viking has acquired anothervessel to sail on the waterways betweenMoscow and St Petersburg next year. Thecompany will also be cruising the Ayeyarwadyin Myanmar from January but the whole yearis already sold out.

Chairman Torstein Hagen confirmed thatViking will be launching a vessel similar to the Longship style on the Mississippi in the US in late 2015.

Viking breaks new record

CTN | MAKING WAVES


Alot of water has gone under theship's bridge since Paul Ludlowwas plucked from relative

anonymity within the Carnival UKorganisation to become the face of PrincessCruises in the UK.

He has since shaken hands with ourfuture Queen, overseen a boost in agentcommissions, created a dedicated salesteam and played a central role in the launchof the company's largest ship just down theroad from his office in Southampton.

Not a bad record for someone promotedto the UK director role by the US cruiseline just two and a half years ago.

Ludlow’s step up led to a split from theComplete Cruise Solution umbrella salesorganisation for sister lines P&O Cruisesand Cunard and, crucially, an increase incommission from five to ten per cent for2014 cruise bookings from the programmelaunch back in April.

The Princess sales force has recentlybeen bolstered by two new members ofstaff, bringing the number up to 12 underUK head of sales Alex White as part of aconcerted commitment to building salesthrough the trade.

Ludlow reports directly to thecompany’s US-based sales and marketingexecutive vie president Jan Swartz while

maintaining a dotted line to Carnival UKchief executive David Dingle.

However, Ludlow is one step removedfrom the group’s main UK brands and hasgained greater freedom to forge anindividual path for Princess, whichaccounts for around 100,000 UKpassengers a year.

Duchess delightsReflecting on the decision to approach theDuchess of Cambridge to name RoyalPrincess – the company’s first new vesselin a number of years - in Southampton inJune, Ludlow says: “I quickly found out afew months into the role that it was our

aspiration to have her name our ship and Iquickly got involved in the processincluding meeting the Palace officials forthe first time all the way through toaccompanying her close protection officerson the day and everything in between.

“It was a fascinating experience andone in which you look back on with

immense pride; pride not only in what itmeans for Princess but for all the peoplewho worked on the project. There were somany who worked behind the scenes whodidn’t get any publicity for the work theydid but if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’thave achieved what we did achieve.

“The publicity we saw in the UK andglobally was nothing like I’d ever seen; wewere getting reports from every corner ofthe world flying into us just moments afterthe ceremony had concluded. It was prettyoverwhelming to say the least.”

How do you top a Royal naming?“It’s not about how we top it, it’s abouthow we elongate it and move on from it,”says Ludlow. “Princess Cruises has alwaysbeen a very large player in the UK cruisemarket but that event really did catapaultus into the consciousness for people whomay not have considered Princess or eventhought of taking a cruise before.

“The number of enquiries comingthrough to us and travel agents wereenormous. It’s now about how we followup with those people, keep talking to themand ensuring the Princess brand is front ofmind both with consumers and agents.

“We will always have this associationwith the Duchess, we will always have thismoment in history and now we need tobuild on it.

“Firstly, our relationship with the tradeis very important. We’ve demonstrated ourcommitment to the trade this year; we’vetangibly given a reason why ourrelationship with them is important.

Commission change“We re-visited our commercial terms withour trade partners, we looked at the way inwhich we trade with them and becameeasier to do business with and created ourdedicated sales team which was recentlyexpanded with two new individuals,” says Ludlow.

“We’ve seen real positivity from thetrade following our changes, not onlythrough those large agent partners we’vealways had a relationship with but withnew people too. We’ve had a lot of agentscoming to us saying that they want to sellus because their customers are proactivelyasking them about Princess Cruises. We’vedemonstrated to those people that we havean easy to do business approach.

“Our agent relationships are top of ourlist, they are crucial to our continuedsuccess in the UK but I also think as abrand we have a job to do to ensureconsumers and agents understand the

Driving prices up for Princess Cruises is a key strategy for UK director Paul Ludlow as he buildsbusiness with the trade. PHIL DAVIES REPORTS

MakingWaves

“Our agent relationships aretop of our list, they are crucialto our continued success

in the UK”

MAKING WAVES | CTN

17MAKING WAVES | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

difference offered by Princess Cruises, sobrand differentiation is very important.

“Customers need to understand withinthe cruise market which brand is right forthem, so when they choose Princess theychoose us for a number of our signaturefeatures, whether it be our itineraries, thequality of our food on board, the superbcustomer service and the cosmopolitan,slightly less formal feel we have on theships which really allows people to dowhat they want when they choose to do it.

“Educating customers tounderstanding what Princess means willreally help us differentiate us against our competitors in what is a very busymarket.”

He says the enhanced commissionremains under constant review butstresses: “It wasn’t just a commissionmove by us; it was a listening exercise.We heard from our agents what wasmaking it difficult for them to book. Wehad a number of incentive schemespeople told us were complicated so wesimplified things. Not only did we changecommission but we looked at some of ourbooking processes.”

Rebound in confidence“It’s relatively early days as it’s not yetbeen six months since the change but sofar people have been telling us we’ve gotit right. We’ve spent a long time listeningto agents to really understand what ittakes to make them have a profitablebusiness relationship with us. They haveaccess to enormous customer databasesand we have a superb product for them tosell, so that we see as a partnership, acoming together for mutual gain.

“What we have in place at themoment is a scheme that works for bothparties. Bookings for 2014 are lookinghealthy. It looks as if there’s a greaterdegree of confidence in the market. Itfeels like the tide is turning after havingbeen through a challenging few yearswith consumer confidence dipping, but it

feels like it’s coming back.“Our early bookings are up year on

year so it feels like we have a greatfoundation for success; as we movethrough 2014, time will tell.”

He adds: “One of the strategic thingsI’ve been working on since joining thebrand has been about managing our ticketprices up. We are a large brand sourced inmany markets around the world so it’simportant that customers from the UK are

paying a premium price for our product. “We have been really working with our

agents to educate them about thedifferences of Princess and we have seensome success in driving prices upwardsand encouraging customers to book everearlier for their holiday.

“We are now moving into a phasewhere we are seeing volume bookings for2014. We wrapped up the 2013 Euro-Medseason very nicely and we are now seeingagents putting a lot of passengers on fornext year.”

Regal PrincessThe identical sister ship to Royal Princesswill make its debut on June 2, 2014 sailingfrom Venice to Barcelona – the popularGrand Mediterranean itinerary operated bythe new vessel this summer. RoyalPrincess will return to the region to runBaltic cruises from Copenhagen as the linedemonstrates the importance of enhancingits presence in European waters at a timewhen it is also expanding in Asia withdedicated departures from China, Japanand Singapore.

“The feedback from Royal has beentremendous, the satisfaction scores for a

new ship have been way above ourexpectations. That tells us that we don’tneed to make big changes for RegalPrincess because Royal is working sowell,” Ludlow says.

“There are no major changes plannedon Regal. Consistency is one of ourthemes, so we want people to choose adestination rather than the ship. That’swhat we want people to do, so theyunderstand that the quality is consistentirrespective or when they choose to sail.”

He adds: “We will have two royal classPrincess ships in Europe, and for ourmarket in particular that it very exciting,”says Ludlow. “We attract tens of thousandsof guests on those cruises very year so tohave our newest hardware in Europe is areal commitment to this market.”

Global reachLudlow declines to discuss specific targetsbut points to the deployment of newer shipEmerald Princess from Southampton in2014 in place of Crown Princess and smallship Ocean Princess sailing from Dover aspart of the rich destination-focusedprogramme supplemented by British Islesitineraries by Ruby Princess.

Strides are also being made to boostUK numbers on cruises in Caribbean, FarEast, Australasia, Alaska and Hawaii asstepping stones towards future growth.

“At the moment the UK accounts forjust a small proportion of customers onthose ships so the limits are unbounded,”says Ludlow. “One of our aspirations is tocontinue to ensure our home-ported shipsare well occupied with British customersbut also we have this opportunity to sendpeople further afield as well.”

The line – described by Ludlow as a“quiet innovator” - sails to more than 330ports around the world, claimed to be morethan any other cruise line.

“Now we’ve established a fantasticbase we’ll look to continue grow theoverall passenger numbers over the nextfive years,” says Ludlow.

“Strides are also being madeto boost UK numbers on

cruises in Caribbean, Far East,Australasia, Alaska and Hawaiias stepping stones towards

future growth”

2014 CRUISE EXTRA CAMPAIGN KICKS OFFPrincess Cruises’ first post-brochure launch sales campaign for 2014 has been initiated to coincide withNational Cruise Week.

The two-month Cruise Extra promotion runs until the end ofOctober offering a range of incentives on ex-UK departures plusRegal and Royal Princess fly-cruises.

Free port car parking, coach transfers or onboard credit areoffered as options on Southampton and Dover sailings togetherwith balcony cabin upgrades and half price deals for third andfourth passengers on selected cruises.

Agents will be able to run an additional cruise sales week with

reduced deposits and vouchers towards on board discounts forclients.

“This is our first big push for 2014,” explains UK director PaulLudlow.

“Effective brand marketing campaigns are crucial so customersknow which brand is right for them.

“The trade is top of our list in terms of importance as they arecrucial in terms of us finding new to cruise customers. We willsupport the trade with brand marketing activity above or below theline that’s complementary to what the trade is doing.

“We have always ensured that the trade call to action is on allof our activity and we will continue to do that.”

CTN | MAKING WAVES


I was in the latter, which is slightly largerthan a standard cabin but with a smallbalcony, a two-seater sofa bed and bathrobe (provided on request).

Nice touches include the panel TV withbuilt-in (and free to view) movies, a remotecontrol you don’t need a degree to use(there are just nine buttons including theon/off switch and volume controls).

The mini-suites are more spacious andhave a curtain to divide the sleeping andsitting areas, so they are good for families.Suites are not only more roomy, but comewith a concierge lounge, a new feature onRoyal Princess, where drinks and snacksare served through the day.

DiningOne of the three dining rooms on RoyalPrincess (Allegro) offers fixed-sittingdining in the evening, with a table and timeto dine allocated for the duration of thecruise, the other two (Concerto and Symph-ony) are open seating, allowing passengersto eat when and with whom they wish.

There’s a Chef’s Table for up to 12people dine in Allegro and two privatedining rooms in Concerto and Symphony,also for up to 12 people.

The redesigned Horizon Court andHorizon Bistro self-service, open forbreakfast, lunch and dinner, have foodstations as well as a new Pastry Shop. Asection of the Horizon Court becomeseither the Crab Shack or Fondues onselected evenings. Both cost an extra $20per person.

New dining venues in the atriuminclude Alfredo’s sit-down pizza restaurant(no charge) and the Ocean Terrace seafoodbar (from $4.50 for sushi and cured salmon

It’s easy to get carried away by all that’snew when talking about a just-launchedcruise ship, and Royal Princess has its

share of first-at-sea features, but toconcentrate on these is to miss the pointabout this vessel.

Royal Princess might be the biggest inthe Princess Cruises’ fleet, but rather thancreate a whole new class of vessel, thecruise line’s bosses decided to go forevolution rather than revolution by buildingon what is popular on its existing ships, justmaking them bigger and better.

Much-loved signature features such asthe adult-only Sanctuary and Movies underthe Stars poolside screen are back – andbigger; likewise the Crown Grillsteakhouse, Italian Sabatini’s restaurant,Horizon Court buffet and piazza-styleatrium surrounded by cafés and bars, andused for ‘street’ entertainment actsthroughout the day.

The difference on Royal Princess is thatthere are more places to eat and drink in theatrium. Move up to the top deck and youfind new cabanas and spa villas in the adult-

only Sanctuary as well as a redesignedbuffet area with new speciality dining in theevening and the first pastry shop at sea(which actually served anything sweet,pastry wrapped or otherwise).

There is a new broadcast studio for livegame shows and entertainment and, ofcourse, the much-hyped glass-bottomedSeaWalk on the top deck. It extends morethan 28 feet over the side of the vessel, hasviews of the ocean 128 feet below.

The spa has been moved to a locationby the atrium (traditionally it has alwaysbeen forward, near the top of Princessships) where there is more footfall andtherefore more potential for passing trade.

I ate in the dining room and bothspeciality restaurants (Crown Grill forsteaks and seafood and Sabatini’s for Italiancuisine) and was impressed with thestandard of the food in all.

I was also impressed that in Alfredo’s, anew pizza restaurant overlooking theatrium, the chefs were happy to go offmenu and create a pizza to myspecifications. The Horizon Court servedstandard buffet fare but is more user-friendly than on other Princess ships.

I also managed to do the rounds of mostof the bars, including Bellini’s, a new venuethat overlooks the atrium and serves theeponymous drink made famous in Harry’sBar in Venice; and Crooners, whichbecomes a piano bar in the evenings. Vinesis a perennial favourite with Princesspassengers who love wine and the top deckSeaView Bar is bound to be a hit for theviews down to the ocean (except with thosewho suffer from vertigo).

AccommodationAll the outside accommodation on RoyalPrincess has a balcony, with a choice ofsuites and mini-suites, a standard balconycabin or a new deluxe category.

With its glamorous décor and signature features, thereis no doubting the provenance of the new RoyalPrincess, says Jane Archer.

Royal Princess review

FactfileTonnage: 141,000Passengers: 3,560, Crew: 1,346

19MAKING WAVES ADVERTISING FEATURE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

to $70 for the caviar) and a gelato barserving crêpes, sundaes, fruit smoothies andice cream from $2.75 for three scoops.

FacilitiesThe adult-only Retreat pool is new and free to visit but there is a $50 (half-day) or$80 (full-day) charge to rent one of thepoolside cabanas.

There are also cabanas to rent for thefirst time in the adult-only Sanctuary; thesehave a sofa, minibar and TV and cost $80and $130 respectively for a half or full day,which includes a selection of soft or alco-holic drinks and fruit. The Sanctuary itselfcosts from $15 per person for a half day.

Picnic baskets, priced from $40 for two,with cheese, cured meats, salads, water andwine, can be delivered to the cabanas.

More space has been allocated to thechildren’s clubs - Princess Pelicans for thethree to sevens and Shockwaves for theeight to 12s, while teenagers (13-17s) get anindoor and outdoor space, with a shallowpool, to hang-out in.

Each evening fountains on the top deckare used for a water and light show andfilms on the Movies under the Stars screen.

ItinerariesRoyal Princess leaves the Mediterranean onOctober 29, sailing to Fort Lauderdale for awinter in the Caribbean. When the shipreturns to Europe in April 2014, it will bebased in Copenhagen for a summer seasonin the Baltic. From £1,099 per personcruise-only for an 11-day Scandinavia andRussia cruise departing May 12.

Regal PrincessRegal Princess, a sister to RoyalPrincess, launches in June 2014 and willhave the same features as its sibling.“There will be no changes bar thecolours and fabrics,” Princess presidentand chief executive officer AlanBuckelew said.

Regal Princess will set off on itsmaiden cruise from Venice on June 2

The ship stays in the Mediterraneanuntil October 17, when it sets sail on a 17-day cruise to Fort Lauderdale.

Prices for the maiden voyage start from£2,047 per person cruise-only. Theinaugural is also available as a seven-dayvoyage from £1,372 per person cruise-onlyfor a balcony cabin.

EuropePrincess Cruises will have the two newest andlargest ships in the fleet sailing in Europe, inaddition to Emerald Princess cruising fromSouthampton dedicated to the UK market.

The programme features 94 departures on48 itineraries to more than 120 destinations withmaiden calls including Alta in Norway; Salerno,Italy and Jersey. • Emerald Princess replaces Crown Princesssailing to the Mediterranean, Adriatic, NorthernEurope and Canary Islands on a series of 14cruises from Southampton. • Ocean Princess will run a split season betweenNorthern Europe and Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean• Regal Princess makes its debut on June 2,2014, sailing first on two new itineraries; a seven-night maiden Western Mediterranean from Veniceto Barcelona and a 10-night MediterraneanAegean itinerary departing June 9 featuring a callin Santorini and an overnight in Venice. • Regal Princess will then run 12-night GrandMediterranean itineraries including an overnight inVenice plus Rome, Florence/Pisa, Provence,

Naples (for Capri & Pompeii), Athens, Mykonosand Kusadasi (for Ephesus). Two itinerary optionsoffer the choice of including either Istanbul orDubrovnik. • Ocean Princess will sail seven-night cruisesfrom Venice, Athens or Rome that can becombined into 14 or 21-night voyages as well astwo 11-night departures covering the Holy Landand the Black Sea.

Northern Europe• Royal Princess will sail its first season inNorthern Europe on an 11-night Scandinavia &Russia itinerary featuring two full days in StPetersburg. • Ruby Princess will sail on nine British Islescruises from Southampton, and Ocean Princesswill offer three departures. Five of these cruiseswill offer the opportunity to see the EdinburghMilitary Tattoo. • Ruby Princess offers one North Cape &Summer Solstice departure in June during thepeak midnight sun period around the summersolstice. • Three unique itineraries on Emerald, Ocean andRoyal Princess will be offered to cruise to the

PRINCESS CRUISES 2014 HIGHLIGHTS Baltic Sea; all departures include our 2-day/1-night experience in St Petersburg. • Ruby Princess will also be based inSouthampton on an expanded series of nineBritish Isles cruises as well as a North Cape andSummer Solstice cruise in June.

CaribbeanSummer Caribbean cruising is being offered forthe first time in four years with CaribbeanPrincess sailing from Florida. The Caribbean willalso feature new ship Royal Princess (January toApril 2014) and Regal Princess (November 2014to April 2015) sailing an Eastern Caribbeanitinerary.

AsiaShanghai will be the home port for SapphirePrincess during a four-month season from May2014 featuring four different itineraries rangingfrom three to seven days in duration.

Sapphire Princess will sail from Singapore ona four-month autumn 2014 to spring 2015season featuring 15 departures.

A substantially expanded summer 2014cruise programme from Japan sees DiamondPrincess join Sun Princess for cruises from threehomeports – Tokyo (Yokohama), Kobe, andOtaru near Sapporo. The ships will offer 42departures visiting more than 20 ports in Japan,South Korea, Taiwan and Russia.

Alaska• Crown Princess will run the Voyage of theGlaciers route through the scenic Gulf of Alaska,joined by Coral Princess and Island Princess. • Pacific Princess, which last sailed in Alaska in2009, will bring its intimate cruise experience toInside Passage cruises from Vancouver. • Golden Princess and Grand Princess will offerInside Passage cruises from Seattle, and StarPrincess will depart on 11-day Inside Passagejourneys from San Francisco.

20 | CRUISE TRADE NEWS | ISSUE 41 | JUNE 2013

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CULTURAL & EXPLORATION CRU ISES | CTN

21CULTURAL & EXPLORATION CRUISES | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

Away from the conventional cruisemarket, where companies havebig ships with multiple restaurants

and lavish entertainment or small vesselsthat compete for the high-spending luxuryclient, there is a whole other world ofholidays at sea.

It’s called cultural and explorationcruising and targets people who want tosee more than the A-list sights frequentedby the mass-market crowds. Some areseeking high adventure in the icy polarregions or in remote corners of the world;others get their kicks experiencingdifferent cultures and seeing where historywas made.

Whichever category they fit in to, thesepeople are not bothered about dress codes,formal nights or watching a troupe ofsingers and dancers, but they do want tohear biologists, geologists, historians andother such experts talk on subjects relatedto the places they are visiting.

It could be whales and penguins on acruise to Antarctica, polar bears inSpitsbergen, reefs and tides on a voyagearound the Kimberley in Australia,Roman history in Sicily, and rainforestscruising around Borneo.

Although cultural and explorationcruises tend to be lumped together, anddo have a lot in common, not least thatthey are always on small ships and do notcome cheap, they are very different.

Cultural cruise lines – the likes ofSwan Hellenic, Voyages of Discovery andVoyages to Antiquity - tend to attractolder, well-travelled people who enjoycruising and want to continue to see theworld but have reached an age when theywant someone there to hold their hand.

These cruises go to popular ports inthe Mediterranean and Black Sea – it’s impossible to miss such places asPompeii and Athens, after all - but they also visit lesser-known places such as Monamvesia and Syros inGreece, Batumi in Georgia and Sibenik in Croatia.

The exploration cruise lines - the likesof Hurtigruten, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and

Silversea (which all have a non-exploration side as well) - are moreadventurous. We’re talking about cruisesthat go to the ends of the earth and remoteregions in between, about sailing close upto icebergs, going ashore in inflatableZodiacs and often having to land onbeaches or rocks.

Clients on these ships are also likely tobe well travelled but they see the cruiseship as a means to an end rather than apreferred choice of travel. They like thefact they are treated as adults and get tomix with like-minded people who might beon the wrong side of 50 but are not goingto let that stop them from seeing the world.

While not an obvious choice forfamilies – and indeed a bad idea for youngchildren – exploration cruises are alsobrilliant for teenagers who do not needconstant entertaining. It’s expensive, but anexperience they will never forget.

Read on to find out more about cultural and exploration cruising andhow you can increase sales in thislucrative market ››

Cruising is not all aboutlarge resort-style ships, CTN reports.

Cultural andexploration cruising

CTN | CULTURAL & EXPLORATION CRU ISES


Cultural voyages are a good choicefor older clients who like to cruisebut are not comfortable with big

ships, fear the luxury lines will be ratherpretentious and do not want the challengesthat go hand-in-hand with explorationcruising (for instance getting in and out ofinflatable Zodiacs, landing on rocks andscrabbling up cliffs).

These will likely be clients who werewell travelled in their younger days butnow feel happier with a group of people,but who nevertheless want to learn moreabout the places that they are visiting thanthey would on a conventional cruise ship.

To quote one Swan Hellenic regular,‘we come on holiday to learn and go homefor a rest’.

Rather than production shows, thesecruise lines usually have guest speakers onboard to lecture about the history andculture of the places being visit, forinstance giving talks about the SpanishCivil War on a cruise down the coast ofIberia or the history and culture ofMyanmar (Burma) on a cruise to Yangon.

A few include excursions in the cost of the cruise on the grounds that theirpassengers come on board to see places so they don’t want to have to miss sightsbecause they are worrying about thebudget.

Although they do visit some of the popularports frequented by the big ships,companies offering cultural cruises like tofind new or lesser-known or exotic placesto take passengers.

Cruise and Maritime VoyagesWhat to know: CMV offers no-fly British-stylecruises year-round on Marco Polo, which sailsmainly from Tilbury, and seasonally onDiscovery, with departures from a range of UKports. New this year, the line launched aspeaker programme, with on-board lecturerscovering astronomy, Russian history and thegardens of the British Isles. This continues into2014, with subjects including military history(on Marco Polo’s D-Day anniversary cruise onJune 2). A third ship, Astor, is cruising toAustralia and South Africa from November. USP: British cruise line with prices that appealto older clients on a budget.Sample price: From £1,289 per personcruise-only for a 14-night cruise fromNewcastle to the North Cape and Murmanskdeparting July 4, 2014.www.cruiseandmaritime.com

›› Don’t miss our exclusive Q&A with CMV commercial directorChris Coates, p29.

Hebridean Island CruisesWhat to know: Hebridean’s 50-passengerHebridean Princess, the only ship to be ByAppointment to the Queen, boasts a friendlycountry-house feel, quality dining and excellentservice. The ship mostly cruises around theScottish isles (but is visiting Norway in 2014 forthe first time in several years); a few Footloosecruises each year have guides on board to takepassengers on walks or strolls, entertaining themwith talks about the local history and culture. Fora full review see page 24.USP: Small and friendly ship, and all-inclusiveprices.Sample price: From £4,370 per person cruise-only for a seven-night Footloose over the WesternIsles cruise departing June 24, 2014 includingtransfers, all drinks, excursions and gratuities. www.hebridean.co.uk

Cultural cruises


Paul Gauguin CruisesWhat to know: The cruise line has two ships– the 90-passenger Tere Moana, which sailsthe Mediterranean and Caribbean, and the332-passenger Paul Gauguin, which is basedin the South Pacific, cruising mainly fromPapeete in Tahiti around Polynesia but alsovisiting the Cook Islands, Australia and, newfor 2014, Southeast Asia. Most cruises haveguest speakers to talk about the history,culture, geography and marine life in theregion. On selected cruises in 2014,oceanographer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau will be hosting lectures andleading dive expeditions.USP: Luxury in the South Pacific, with threePADI dive instructors to host scuba divingexpeditions, and drinks and gratuities includedin the fare.Sample price: From £4,622 including flightsfor a seven-night Tahiti and Society Islandscruise roundtrip from Papeete on April 5, 2014. www.pgcruises.com

Saga Cruises by TitanWhat to know: Saga’s Quest for Adventurewill be reverting to classic cruising from theUK under the name Saga Pearl II at the endof the year but the company (for peopleaged over 50 only and sold through thetrade by Titan Travel) is retaining threeadventure-branded departures. For a fullreview see page 28.USP: UK port transfers included in thecruise fare.Sample price: From £2,736 per person fora 16-day Arctic Explorer round-trip fromDover on June 22, 2014. www.titantravel.co.uk

Swan HellenicWhat to know: Swan Hellenic iscelebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014 withan itinerary that calls at some of the GreekIslands visited on its first cruise back in1954. The line has one ship, the 350-passenger Minerva, and itineraries inNorthern Europe, the Mediterranean andAsia that visit well-known ports andunknown harbours such as Kythera inGreece and Kas in Turkey, in search ofhistory and culture. Most departures havethree or more guest speakers on board,ranging from historians and archaeologiststo classics professors and naturalists.USP: It’s all about the destinations so shoreexcursions are included in the cruise fare,likewise gratuities in line with the Britishpreference.Sample price: From £2,565 per person forSwan’s 15-night 60th anniversary cruisefrom Naples to Piraeus (for Athens)departing August 13, 2014 including flightsand transfers. www.swanhellenic.com

Voyages of DiscoveryWhat to know: This cruise line has one ship,the 540-passenger Voyager, and offersdiscovery-style cruises in Northern Europe,round the Mediterranean and, in winter2013/14, in Asia also, visiting both popularports and little-known harbours in search ofhistory, culture and excitement as well. Alldepartures have guest lecturers on board,from naval experts and military historians toarchitects and garden experts.USP: Stylish ship, recently refurbished, offeringexciting cruises around the world andgratuities included in the price.Sample price: From £3,069 per person for a17-day cruise around Japan from Tokyo toManila in the Philippines on January 18, 2014including flights and transfers.www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk

Voyages to AntiquityWhat to know: This is the new kid on theblock when it comes to cultural cruising, but injust three years the line has gained a loyalfollowing of passengers from the US, UK andAustralia who are looking to sail on a smallship with cultural itineraries visiting unusualdestinations. The line has one ship, the 350-passenger Aegean Odyssey, which spendssummers in the Eastern Mediterranean,digging into Greek and Roman history in Sicily,Greece, Turkey and Venice, and will be sailingin Asia in winter 2014/15. Each cruise haserudite lectures from experts in everything fromhistory and the classics to archaeology. Pre-cruise hotel stays in key cities (and sometimespost-cruise stays as well) ensure passengersdon’t miss sights in the embarkation ports.USP: Excursions are included in the price, asare selected special events, wine with dinnerand gratuities.Sample price: From £2,495 per person for a17-day cruise tour around Greece and Turkeyfrom Piraeus (for Athens) to Istanbul on April26 including flights and transfers, and twonights in Athens at the start and two inIstanbul at the end.www.voyagestoantiquity.com

›› Cruise to the ancient world withVoyages to Antiquity, p30-31.

CTN | REVIEW


Hebridean Island Cruises

The end of the cruise and there’s onlyone subject on everyone’s minds. AnSgurr. A huge rock that not only has

an unpronounceable name but is theultimate challenge of my Footloose walkingcruise with Hebridean Island Cruises.

This is the walk that sorts the men outfrom the boys, the walkers from thestrollers. No pressure, but as one of theyoungest passengers on Hebridean Princess,I really didn’t have any choice but to be onthe first boat ashore, hale and hearty andraring to hike.

“You’ll be fine,” Ralph reassured me atdinner the previous night. He was one ofthree walking guides on this Footloose inthe Isles cruise (the other two were Pat andTed) and had garnered a reputation amongthe passengers for being akin to a mountaingoat. I’m sure that as the rest of us puffedour way to the top of the rock the followingday, he had barely drawn breath.

Most Hebridean cruises depart from

Oban, a two-hour drive from Glasgow. Youhave to make your own way to the city’srailway station or airport, but Hebrideanprovides a coach transfer to the port.Alternatively, passengers can drive toOban.

But travel is the only extra, becauseonce on board everything is included in theprice, from the drinks and gratuities to thetours and help-yourself snacks on thereception desk.

We set sail during dinner, cruisingthrough the islands, which were a picturein the late evening sun, to our overnightmooring (because Princess is so small – itholds just 50 passengers – it is too noisy tosail at night). Next morning we had anearly start to get to the Isle of Ulva for ourfirst walk, a 5.5-mile hike that passed thecroft where Dr Livingston’s family used to live.

At each port, there are guided hikes forthose who want to stride out and strolls forthose who prefer to take it easy. As wewalked, Ralph, Pat and Ted, who kept usentertained with his guitar playing onseveral evenings, threw in nuggets ofinformation about the islands’ history, floraand industry.

I learnt about the Scottish clearances,when islanders were forced off the land tomake way for sheep, and fish and oysterfarming. I toured Kinloch Castle on Rum,which was built by the son of a Lancashireindustrialist and is proof positive thatmoney does not mean taste, and saw aFlybe plane land on the sand on Barra.

And I did manage to get to climb to thetop of An Sgurr, which was well worth thescramble for the fabulous views. Back onthe quay, a piper was waiting to pipe us onto the small boats that Hebridean uses toferry passengers ashore. It was a fittingfarewell for our last full day in Scotland.

AccommodationThere are 30 cabins and suites onHebridean Princess, of which four have abalcony and 10 are singles. All areindividually decorated and more countryhouse than Malmaison. I was in the Isleof Coll, a lovely big room with picturewindows over the front of the ship, acomfy king-size bed and large bathroom.Hebridean refuses to say which cabin theQueen slept in (she has chartered theship twice) but I like to think it was mine.

DiningThe meals on Hebridean Princess weresome of the best I have had on a cruise,which is even more impressive when yousee the tiny galley the chef and his teamhave to work in. The food was tasty andwell presented. Tables in the dining roomare pre-allocated and as I was travellingon my own I had chosen to share withother passengers, but couples usually optto dine alone (although I noticed theshared tables were always more fun).

ServiceNothing was too much trouble forErlandas, my waiter, and the bar staffwere excellent. The icing on the cakewas when Charles, the chief purser,found out the ship had run out of myfavourite (and very rare) tipple and sethimself the challenge of buying a bottlewhen we were in Tobermory. Amazingly,he succeeded.

ItinerariesHebridean Princess is sailing fiveFootloose cruises next year, includingone in Norway in August. From £2,390per person for a seven-night Footloose tothe Lochs and Isles cruise departingMarch 18 including meals, drinks,excursions and gratuities.

www.hebridean.co.uk

A cruise dedicated towalking sounds acontradiction in terms, butit’s proved a winningcombination for theQueen’s favourite cruiseline. Jane Archer venturedto Scotland to find out why.

Quick factsTonnage: 2,112Passengers: 50, Crew: 80

CULTURAL & EXPLORATION CRU ISES | CTN


Hapag-Lloyd CruisesWhat to know: German cruise line withtwo exploration ships – Bremen andHanseatic – offering nine bi-lingualGerman/English cruises to remote spotsincluding Antarctica, the Amazon, Siberia,Greenland and Alaska.USP: Exploration cruising at its mostadventurous.Sample price: From £6,170 per personcruise-only for a 19-day voyage toAntarctica on Bremen round-trip fromUshuaia departing December 5, 2014. www.hl-cruises.com

HurtigrutenWhat to know: Norwegian cruise line withone exploration ship, Fram, which sails inAntarctica in winter and Spitsbergen andGreenland in summer. Highlights in 2014include a 15-day National Park Expeditionvoyage from Longyearbyen in Spitsbergento Reykjavik in Iceland via Greenland, and anew cruise circumnavigating Iceland.USP: Scandinavian style combined with aselection of unusual cruises.Sample price: From £4,296 per personincluding return flights from Copenhagen toKangerlussuaq (international flights extra)for a nine-day Heart of Greenland cruisedeparting June 14, 2014. www.hurtigruten.co.uk

›› Don’t miss our exclusive Q&A withHurtigruten’s UK managing directorKathryn Beadle, p29.

Celebrity CruisesWhat to know: Celebrity is best known for bigships with multiple restaurants and grass lawns,but in the Galapagos there is the CelebrityXpedition, a yacht-like ship in a class of its own.It holds 92 passengers and sails two alternatingseven-night island-hopping cruises year-round.There are two or three expeditions a day onZodiacs, either ashore to see the wildlife, oraround rocky outcrops to see the local birdlife.USP: A comfortable small ship with drinks andgratuities included in the price.Sample price: From £2,441 per person cruise-only for a seven-night cruise round-trip fromBaltra in the Galapagos departing August 17,2014. www.celebritycruises.co.uk

Compagnie du PonantWhat to know: French cruise line with three264-passenger sister ships – Le Boréal,L’Austral and Le Soléal - (and a fourth on order)with ice-strengthened hulls for polar sailing. Twoships are based in Antarctica in winter andPonant will have two in the Arctic in summer2014, sailing to the Russian White Sea, aroundSpitsbergen, from Greenland to Canada andthrough the North-West Passage, fromGreenland to Alaska.USP: Small ships which are very French, veryrelaxed and very chic. Sample price: From £5,395 per personincluding return flights from Buenos Aires toUshuaia (international flights extra) for a 10-night cruise from Ushuaia to Antarctica andback departing February 10, 2014. www.ponant.com

The world really is your oyster whenit comes to choosing an expeditioncruise, with voyages to the end of

the earth and numerous points in between.Antarctica, known as the most remote

spot on the planet, is the ultimate icyadventure with plenty of penguins thrownin, but Spitsbergen, the largest island in theSvalbard archipelago, is snapping at itsheels. It has polar bears and whales, and ismore accessible, and therefore lessexpensive, than the White Continent.

For those who prefer warmer climes,there are cruises around the Galapagosislands, where you can get up close todancing booby birds, iguanas and sea lions,and in the Sea of Cortez, between BahaCalifornia and the Mexican mainland,known as the Galapagos of Mexico, wherewhales and dolphins gather to breed.

There are cruises around theKimberley – the vast, mainly uninhabitedarea of Northern Australia - to theKamchatka Peninsula in Russia, aroundBorneo and to Greenland.

Exploration cruises



Lindblad/NationalGeographic ExpeditionsWhat to know: This US cruise line, run inpartnership with National Geographic, boughtAustralian’s Orion Expedition Cruises earlierthis year. Orion’s ship becomes NationalGeographic Orion in March 2014. The line sailsin Antarctica and the Arctic, the Sea of Cortezand Galapagos. The renamed NationalGeographic Orion will continue to cruise in the Kimberley as well as Micronesia andaround Borneo.USP: Ships carry kayaks for people who wantto go paddling among the icebergs, andremote cameras that explore the sea beds.Sample price: From $5,830 (£3,762) perperson cruise-only for an eight-day BajaCalifornia and the Sea of Cortez cruise from San Carlos to La Paz departing March 8, 2014. www.expeditions.com

Noble CaledoniaWhat to know: A small ship specialist thatoperates two ships – the 114-passengerIsland Sky and Caledonian Sky – that visitexotic places such as Cuba, Russia’s WhiteSea and the Kamchatka Peninsula with either guest speakers or an expedition team on board.USP: Exciting itineraries and all-inclusivepricing.Sample price: From £4,595 per person for a12-night Epic Iceland cruise from Leith toReykjavik on June 3, 2014 including flights, transfers, drinks, gratuities and shoreexcursions. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Quark ExpeditionsWhat to know: A TUI-owned company thatspecialises in cruising the polar regions. Theline has three ships in the White Continent andthree in the Arctic including the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Years of Victory, whichis the only passenger ship that can get to theNorth Pole. New for 2014 is a 25-day voyageto the Scotia Sea in Antarctica.USP: The ultimate in expedition cruising.Sample price: From £11,900 per person for a23-day Epic Antarctica voyage round-trip fromUshuaia departing December 19, 2014 thatspends two days in the Falkland Islands, fourdays in South Georgia and crosses theAntarctic Circle into explorer territory. www.quarkexpeditions.com

SeabournWhat to know: Seabourn entered theexploration cruise market this year after retro-fitting an ice-strengthened hull to SeabournQuest so it could cruise to Antarctica. Thereare three 21-night departures and one 24-night voyage this winter, and the ship is backwith the same programme between November2014 and February 2015.USP: Luxury cruising to the White Continent,with drinks and gratuities included in the price.Sample price: From £10,512 per personcruise-only for a 21-day Ultimate Antarcticaand Patagonia cruise from Valparaiso in Chileto Buenos Aires departing January 25. www.seabourn.com

SilverseaWhat to know: Luxury cruise line with twoexploration vessels. The 132-passenger SilverExplorer sails in Antarctica in winter and theArctic in summer, with new cruises next yearalso from Greenland to Alaska and souththrough Japan and the South Pacific. The100-passenger Silver Galapagos, which joinsthe fleet in September, is based year-round inthe Galapagos.USP: Luxury meets exploration, with drinksand gratuities included in the price.Sample price: From £6,450 per personcruise-only for a 12-day voyage from Reykjavikin Iceland to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland onSilver Explorer on July 28, 2014. www.silversea.com

Top tips forexplorationcruisers1. Leave dinner jackets at home. But wind-proof coats, warm jumpers, scarves, glovesand waterproof trousers are a must forvisiting cold climates.

2. Wellies are needed for wet landings.Check if the cruise line has any for hire tosave packing them.

3. Remember that wildlife is wild. Sightingsof polar bears, whales and other animals isnot guaranteed, except in the Galapagos.

4. Be flexible. Itineraries often have tochange due to weather conditions or be-cause a bear or whales have been spotted.

5. Take the teens. But only if they areinquisitive kids, interested in seeing newplaces rather than just following friends on Facebook.

6. Getting in and out of Zodiacs requiresmobility. Be realistic about your abilities oryou will find you might be unable to leave the ship.

7. Don’t book an expedition cruise if youwant a relaxing holiday. These are all aboutearly mornings and getting out anddiscovering new things.


Your customers can be con�dent when booking their cruise with Princess as we are a Which? Recommended Provider. As the Consummate Host we provide a warm and welcoming service onboard a relaxed and rejuvenating retreat at sea. With sailings from Southampton and Dover as well as �y-cruises, Princess Cruises makes it easy for your customers to discover the best of the Mediterranean and Scandinavia.

FREE car parking^ OR FREE coach transfers^ OR up to $200 per couple FREE on board spend#FREE balcony upgrade~HALF PRICE for 3rd & 4th passengers on selected cruises<

FREE car parking or FREE coach transfers – booking detailsFree car parking is available on all stateroom categories on Emerald Princess, Ocean Princess and Ruby Princess cruises sailing roundtrip from Southampton or Dover. Free coach transfers are available on all stateroom categories on cruise sailing roundtrip UK on Emerald Princess, plus Ruby Princess North Cape & Summer Solstice. Parking and transfers must be requested at the time of the cruise booking, quoting RDB (car parking) and RDC (coach transfers). Once their cruise booking is con�rmed, passengers must contact Cruise and Passenger Services to book parking in Southampton (tel: 0845 0713939; www.candps.com), or Dover Cruise Port to book parking in Dover (tel: 0844 5041771; www.doverport.co.uk), quoting RDB and their six-digit cruise booking reference. Contact Interline on 0843 374 2246, or visit www.intercruises.com/cruiseconnect quoting reference RDC to book a coach transfer. Car parking and coach transfers can only be booked from 72 hours after the cruise booking is con�rmed, and up to 35 days prior to the cruise departure.

Welcome toPrincess Cruises

FREE BALCONYUPGRADE~

Fares are pp cruise only Interior Oceanview Balcony Mini-suite Suite Cruise Extra Offer

Spain & France 8 nights Emerald Princess 3, 24 May 2014

Fares based on 3 May departure. Fares for other departures may vary.

£599 £799 £799 £999 £1,999

$100per couple onboard

spend# or FREE parking^ or FREE coach transfer + HALF PRICE for 3rd/4th passengers<

Norwegian Fjords 7 nights Emerald Princess 9 Aug 2014 £899 £1,099 £1,099 £1,299 £2,499


spend# or FREE parking^ or FREE

coach transfer

Canary Islands 11 nights Emerald Princess 31 May, 14^ Oct 2014

Fares based on 31 May departure. Fares for other departures may vary. Îtinerary follows a slightly di�erent order.

£999 £1,399 £1,399 £1,599 £2,999


spend# or FREE parking^ or FREE coach transfer + HALF PRICE for 3rd/4th passengers<

Mediterranean Medley 14 nights Emerald Princess 10< May, 12 Jul, 16 ,̂ 30 Sep 2014

Fares based on 30 Sep departure. Fares for other departures may vary. <Cruise calls at Marseille instead of Monte Carlo. Îtinerary follows a slightly di�erent order.

£1,099 £1,599 £1,599 £1,899 £4,299


spend# or FREE parking^ or FREE

coach transfer

Scandinavia & Russia Collection 14 nights Ocean Princess22 Jun, 20 Jul 2014

Fares based on 22 Jun departure. Fares for other departures may vary.

£2,299 £2,799 £2,799 £3,299 £5,375$200

per couple onboard spend# or FREE

parking^

Iceland & Norway Medley 14 nights Ocean Princess 6 Jul 2014

Fares based on 30 Sep departure. Fares for other departures may vary. <Cruise calls at Marseille instead of Monte Carlo. Îtinerary follows a slightly di�erent order.

£2,399 £2,899 £2,899 £3,399 £5,215$200

per couple onboard spend# or FREE

parking^

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CHRIS COATESCommercial directorCruise & Maritime Voyages

Cruise & Maritime Voyages runs no-flycruises year-round from the UK on 800-passenger Marco Polo, which is for adultsonly, and seasonally on the 700-passengerDiscovery. CMV will have voyages toAustralia and South Africa on the 600-passenger Astor from November.

How would you describe Cruise andMaritime’s style of small ship culturalcruising?An exceptional value scenic cruiseexperience to wonderful off-the-beaten-track places aboard traditional smaller shipsthat offer a British home-from-homecountry-house style of cruising with theemphasis on good old-fashioned personalservice. The Isles of Scilly, Akureyri inIceland and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull,to name but a few, are cruise favourites.

What’s the appeal of cruising on asmall ship?The special ambience that can be createdand a sense of camaraderie that cannot bematched by the glitzy and more impersonallarger resort-style vessels. Being smaller,our ships can also access more interestingand diverse ports of call, enriching theitinerary and cruising experience.

Who, typically, is a CMV passenger?Mainly retired couples and single travellersin their mid 50s to 60s from aprofessional/semi-professional backgroundwho enjoy a fine-dining experience, bigshow entertainment, meeting new friends,learning about the places being visited andbroadening their horizons. They’ll beinterested in gardening, walking and thecountryside, current affairs, staying fit and

healthy, going online and travelling. Some70% of our passengers have cruised beforeand 45% have cruised before with us. That’swhy for 2014 we are expanding ourAdditions Onboard programme.

How many CMV cruises a year areaccompanied by guest speakers?All of our sailings of six nights or moreduration are accompanied by guestspeakers.

How do you decide which cruises willhave guest speakers?We take into account the itinerary andcruise region and any special occasions oranniversaries. For example, on our MarcoPolo 12-night Baltic Cities & St Petersburgcruise in September 2014, we have a guest speaker talking about the history ofRussian culture.

Do you expect your smallship/cultural cruising sector of themarket to continue to grow?Not in our traditional/classic small ship‘value’ sector simply because of availability.However, as this market segment continuesto mature and grow in popularity in linewith population trends, we envisage mid to longer-term interest in smaller ship new builds.

KATHRYN BEADLEUK managing directorHurtigruten

As well as operating working ships up anddown the Norwegian coast, Hurtigruten hasone exploration ship, Fram, which holds

318 passengers and cruises to Antarctica inwinter and around the high Arctic in summer.

Why do people want to cruise to theNorth and South Poles?For most people it is about getting closer tonature and wildlife and having new, uniqueexperiences. Where else can you get up closeto penguins or watch polar bears as they goabout their daily business?

Who is a typical Fram passenger? Howmany per cruise are likely to be fromthe UK?The age group is perhaps slightly youngerthan our other voyages, but that isn’t asrelevant as their sense of adventure, withmost having a real interest in wildlife. Somehave tried conventional cruises and arelooking for something different. Otherswould definitely not term themselvescruisers, but see the ship as the best way toget the experiences they are after. There can be anything from 20 to 100 UKpassengers on any one trip, depending on the destination.

Which of Fram’s exploration cruisesare the most popular?The incredible experience of camping inAntarctica is not something many people getto try on their annual holiday, but the chanceto follow in the footsteps of well-knownexplorers makes it one of our most populardestinations. Many of our customers yearn tosee polar bears in their natural habitat, soSpitsbergen is also one of the most sought-after destinations.

Is an exploration cruise a once-in-a-lifetime booking, or do passengersgraduate from one adventure toanother?Passengers on MS Fram are very loyal and ahigh proportion of them come back time andtime again. Many people start with a shorteritinerary and then either return to the samedestination for longer, or try something else.We often see customers booking a trip toAntarctica, then booking a second longervoyage that includes the Falkland Islands as well.

How many lecturers typically are on aFram cruise and what is their role onboard?We have an expedition team of four or fivepeople who are experts in their field. Theyare not just lecturers though. Their role ismore like that of a tour leader. They are onhand far more than a lecturer would be andreally get to know individual customers andwhat their interests are.



ASK THEEXPERTS

REVIEW | CTN


Quest for Adventure

The first thing to know about a Sagacruise is that it’s not what youexpect. The company might

specialise in holidays for the over 50s (butpartners aged over 40 are allowed) but the449-passenger Quest for Adventure, to berenamed Saga Pearl II in November, iscertainly not like an old folks’ home at sea.

By day my fellow passengers were outexploring ports, either alone or on anexcursion, taking part in quizzes, attendingwatercolour classes or lectures, or having ago at Wii archery. Come evening, theywere in the bars, having dinner, at theshows. Admittedly by 11pm things weregetting on the quiet side but there werealways a few stalwarts listening to Adamon the piano in Shackleton Bar.

AccommodationQuest for Adventure, like all Saga ships,has a good supply of single cabins andalthough they are charged at a premium,they are snapped up fast. Lone travellers,like couples, can choose from a variety ofcabin types – insides, outsides, rooms withbalconies and suites. Junior suites onBridge Deck are unusual, with a Frenchdoor that opens to a terrace – a bit like ashared balcony.

Cabins are decked out in stylish blue-and-white and equipped with TVs, DVDsand safes. Bathrooms have showers or bath

tubs and come with a huge supply oftoiletries. Trade up to a suite and you getbutler service, a free mini-bar and pre-dinner canapés delivered to the room inthe afternoon. You are asked to selectwhich you would like on a day-to-daybasis, which is a nice touch and avoidswastage.

I was in Grand Suite, at the front ofthe ship, with a small balcony but next toa large area of open deck reserved forsuite passengers.

DiningSaga ditched set dining in the eveningwhen it launched its adventure brand,instead operating an open dining systemwhere you are seated at random withother passengers each evening. It’s agreat way to meet people (and means youare not stuck with on a table with othersyou don’t get on with) but couples canopt to have a table to themselves if theyprefer. This system was a great success (itwas adopted on Saga Sapphire, when thatentered service last year) and will remainwhen Quest is renamed Saga Pearl II.

I ate in the dining room each evening,hopping around different tables andmeeting different people, but preferredthe Verandah for a buffet breakfast andthe al fresco grill (salads, fish and meats)outside the Sundowner Bar for lunch.

ServiceThe service might not be as polished asyou get at the Ritz, but I found the crewto be charming and friendly, which ismuch better in my opinion. My cabinsteward and butler kept my room cleanand tidy; in the bar (the Sundownerbefore dinner and Shackleton in theevening) the waiters quickly remember-ed my name and favourite drinks.

ItinerariesOnce it is renamed Saga Pearl II, Questfor Adventure will be based full time inthe UK, sailing to the Baltic, Norwegianfjords, Caribbean and Mediterranean.However, Saga has created threeadventure-branded departures to appealto past passengers who preferred theQuest style of cruising. The 15-nightArctic Explorer, from Dover on June 22,2014, spends three days in Spitsbergen,the 15-night Icelandic Explorer, fromDover on July 7, 2014, spends six daysin Iceland, and the seven-night On thetrail of the Vikings cruise, from Doveron September 5, includes calls atMolde, Bergen and Haugesund.

The lecturesJust as Quest for Adventure haslecturers on board, the adventure-themed cruises on Saga Pearl II willhave guest speakers on board. So far theonly one confirmed is Viking expertJames Hodge, who will be joining theseven-night On the trail of the Vikingscruise in September 2014.

Sample priceFrom £2,736 per person for a 16-dayArctic Explorer round-trip from Doveron June 22. 2014.www.titantravel.co.uk

Over-50’s favourite Saga Cruises is reaching out tothe trade through Titan Travel. Jane Archer wenton Quest for Adventure to see first-hand what aSaga ship is really like.

CTN | REVIEW


Voyages to Antiquity

There are big ships and there aresmall ships, and there is Voyages toAntiquity, a cultural cruise line with

one ship that visits lesser known ports thathave much to offer in the way of history,architecture and other cultural attractionsand attracts cruisers keen to exercise their

intellect – and their legs - on a widechoice of shore excursions, most of whichare included in the fare.

As Voyages to Antiquity puts it, the11,500-ton, 350-passenger ship AegeanOdyssey sails itineraries dedicated tovisiting ports that offer ‘the history, art

and cultures of the ancient world’.To get you in the mood, the brochure

has a section on Mediterranean history andthe many civilisations that developed,prospered and ultimately disappeared.Passengers receive two guides on boarding– details of shore excursions and a list ofrecommended reading featuring authorsknowledgeable in Mediterranean cultureand history.

Aegean Odyssey sailed a debut Asianseason last winter, and will be back there

Keith Ellis experiences a cruise on a small ship thatcombines on-board comforts with calls at lesser-visitedports filled with unexplored delights.

31REVIEW | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

in 2014/15, but the vessel operates mostlyin the eastern Mediterranean, a regionwhere more civilisations and cultures haveleft their mark than any other. There ismore of the same in 2014, but also morecruises to the ever-popular Black Sea where there is also a lot of history and culture.

Cruises are never less than 13 days,and often much longer, up to 19 days, andcan be combined into extended voyages to allow passengers time for greaterimmersion in the contrasting cultures they explore.

On my cruise in May from Venice toCivitavecchia (for Rome), visited Split,Korcula, Dubrovnik, Syracuse, Palermoand Sorrento, passengers, mostly from theUK, US and Australia, filled every lectureon board provided by three leadingauthorities on their chosen topic beforejoining the included shore excursions.

Cultural cruising doesn’t meanVoyages to Antiquity neglects life onboard. Cabins, from simple insides to morespacious balcony suites, are comfortablyfurnished, with reasonable-sizedbathrooms and storage space. Notsurprisingly, a well-stocked library carriesa wide selection of books relevant to thecruise programme.

Although the ship doesn’t offermultiple dining venues – which was of no

concern to the passengers I met - there is achoice between the Marco Polo diningroom and the informal self-service TerraceCafé, which opens onto a spacious aft deckopen air dining area.

The same menu is offered in bothdining options, at breakfast, lunch anddinner, with freshly-cooked pasta alsoavailable outside at the Terrace. That wasperfect for me and I ate the majority of mymeals there. Wines, drawn from thelocality where the ship is sailing whenpossible, are provided free with dinner.

A decent-sized, centrally-located pool,well used by a number of passengers, isoverlooked by the Lido Bar, from wherethe less brave (that’ll be me), could snoozein the afternoon sun.

Entertainment was small ship style,with a string trio playing light classics toaccompany afternoon tea in the Charles-ton Lounge and smooth jazz and classicBroadway songs from a vocalist and piano trio in the same location in theevening. The Ambassador Lounge, leadingfrom this room acts as a lecture andconcert area.

During the day I joined excursions toexperience everything from beautifulchapels, cathedrals and other ecclesiasticalbuildings to stunning private residencesand remarkably-preserved archaeologicalsites.

There was also time to explore on myown – the old walled town and palace inSplit; the beautifully-preserved Korcula,with 14th-century walls and streets in afishbone pattern, built we are told, tobenefit from cooling winds; Dubrovnik,always packed with tourists is but still aremarkable town; the old seaport towns ofPalermo and Syracuse which gave way toGreek and Roman sites inland; Sorrento fora visit to Pompeii or simply a stroll throughthe town itself with its endless boutiquesand lunch in a trattoria.

Many of the passengers were repeatclients and several were booked forextended cruises of two months or more toenjoy more of this laid back but stimulatingcultural journey.

›› Voyages to Antiquity is repeating this15-day cruise on October 4 this year. Pricesfrom £2,595 per person including flights,transfers, shore excursions, wine and softdrinks with dinner and gratuities, plus two nights in Venice on the ship pre-cruiseand two in a Rome hotel at the end of the cruise.

Coming up in 2014Aegean Odyssey will be back in the easternMed from Match to October 2014, startingthe season with a 28-day cruise fromPiraeus (the port for Athens) to Istanbul thatvisits Sicily, Malta, Greece and Turkey, andincludes an extended stay in Israel and anovernight in a hotel in Jerusalem plus twonights in a hotel in Athens pre-cruise andtwo in Istanbul at the end of the voyage.From £3,895 per person including flights,transfers, shore excursions and gratuities.

The season continues with cruisesbetween Istanbul, Piraeus, Civitavecchia(the port for Rome) and Venice, ticking offports in Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Italy andCroatia that have a close associations withancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

Aegean Odyssey is visiting Bodrum forthe first time next year, where there will beexcursions to the remains of the tomb ofMausolus at Halicarnassus (it’s the origin ofthe word mausoleum and one of the sevenwonders of the ancient world), as well as theGreek Islands of Syros and Kos.

There are also four Black Sea cruises,three 14-day voyages sailing round-trip fromIstanbul (on July 17, August 31 and October5), the fourth visiting Sevastopol andOdessa within a 17-day itinerary fromPiraeus to Istanbul departing August 19.From £2,395 per person for the October 5departure.


Developed by technology giantAmadeus, Cruise Shop is a dreamcome true for agents who are new

to selling cruise and struggling to get togrips with Freestyle dining, Flowriders andfixed seating, but will also help cruiseexperts looking to provide their customerswith better, and faster, service.

“Booking systems have always beentechnology driven; Cruise Shop takes acustomer-driven approach,” said Amadeusdirector of marketing, UK & Ireland RobSinclair-Barnes. “It is vital that agents getpeople on the right cruise; this systemallows them to do that.”

The company entered the cruise marketin 2001 with Amadeus Cruise, but that wasjust about the booking.

The new system, which took just six

months to develop, allows agents to shopfor cruises for their clients using criteriasuch as the departure date, ship, length ofcruise, itinerary, even the Caribbeanislands the customer wants to visit. Thecost to the agent is £1 per booking.

Enhancements coming at the end of themonth include lifestyle criteria, and theability go amend and cancel bookings,book multiple cabins and make back-to-back bookings. Systems will be upgradedautomatically so agents will never be left behind.

Amadeus aims to add functionalitynext year that allows agents to unpackage a cruise and add their own elements to abooking, such as separate flights, hotelsand tours.

Sinclair-Barnes said the power behind

the system is ‘phenomenal’ with responsesto billions of criteria delivered in ananosecond. As it is much faster and moreefficient than an individual, it shifts agentsfrom being simple order-takers and allowsthem to add value to the transaction.

Cruise Shop has two search levels, onethat allows agents to dig deep into whattheir clients want, the other a ‘fast track’ sothey can make a quick booking – Amadeusclaims it can be done in 90 seconds – forcustomers who know what they want.

Once agents have completed a searchand narrowed down the choices, they canemail or print the results, with prices thatboth include and exclude service charges,for their customers. These will be filed onthe system under the client’s name, whichsaves going through the whole processagain at a later date and means they canalso be accessed by anyone in the office.

When the client decides to book, theprice will automatically be updated, but iftheir chosen cruise is no longer available,the other options will still be in the system,which again means agents do not have tostart from scratch.

A new online booking system that allows agents to searchthrough thousands of cruises and find an itinerary thatmatches exactly what their client wants is being unveiledat Clia UK & Ireland’s Columbus Day in Liverpool.

CTN | NEW TO CRU ISE A helping hand for agents trying to convert clients to cruise.

THIS ISSUE

of thetrade

tools

33NEW TO CRUISE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

Sinclair-Barnes said: “People are notgoing to make a quick decision aboutbuying a cruise so it’s important thatagents have that feature. It’s all aboutproviding good service and continuity forthe customer.”

Work on Cruise Shop started lastDecember and a showcase was held inJune to get feedback from agents andcruise lines before the final launch.Sinclair-Barnes said there were very fewtweaks, with the main demand being thatthe system is launched immediately.

So far 13 cruise lines are signed up touse Cruise Shop, including RoyalCaribbean International, NorwegianCruise Line, Oceania Cruises andSilversea, with Hurtigruten joining at theend of February.

The most notable names missing arethe Carnival UK brands P&O Cruises,Cunard and Princess Cruises. Sinclair-Barnes said Amadeus is in talks with all three.

The company, which has about 5,000cruise agents, is also looking to sign non-cruise agents to use the new system.

CTN’s A-Z of cruise portscontinues with M-O

M is for Montréal: Montréal is a safe,friendly city with Parisian-style boulevards anda charming old town with lots of restaurantsand shops that’s in easy walking distancefrom the port. You can learn about the city’shistory (the city dates back to the first settlersin 1642, when it was called Ville-Marie) at thePoint Calliere Museum and during a greatsound-and-light show in the Notre DameBasilica. Other top spots include theBiodome, which recreates four ecosystems,Jean Tolon Market and Parc du Mont-Royal.There are tours of the Olympic Stadium andyou can shop till you drop in the under-ground malls. More at: www.tourisme-montreal.org.com

N is for Nice: This French port, betweenthe Alps and the Mediterranean, was part ofSardinia until 1860 and put on the holidaymap by the English (the Promenade desAnglais, which sweeps alongside the Baiedes Anges, was built by an Englishman in1822) and is now regularly voted the placewhere most French people would like to live.Small ships dock in Nice, larger ones anchoroff Villefranche, in the next bay. Highlightsinclude the Old Town, a maze of narrowstreets full of cafes, squares and markets,which is lively by day and night, the MuseeMatisse, a collection of the lifework of HenriMatisse, the buildings of the belle époquethat line the Promenade des Anglais and alovely long sandy beach.More at: www.nicetourism.com

O is for Odessa: The port was foundedin 1794 by Catherine the Great to provide awarm weather port for the Russian Empireand is an unexpected treasure, veryEuropean with wide tree-lined boulevardsand elegant buildings in Classic,Renaissance and Asian style. Highlightsinclude the ornate opera house, thePotemkin Steps, which lead from the port tothe city, made famous in the Eisenstein filmBattleship Potemkin about a mutiny in 1905by sailors on the eponymous ship. In avillage outside the city you can tour anetwork of tunnels where resistance fighterslived during the Second World War. More at: www.odessatourism.in.ua

All Leisure Group group sales director Colin Wilson offers five top tips to help you sell more cultural cruises.

Keep up to date with current cultural trends, such as popular TV series, significant anniversariesor new books. Use this knowledge when selling cultural cruises, highlighting aspects of theitinerary that tap into this trend.

Do your research and seek out cruise operators that specialise in providing culturally enrichingexperiences for their passengers. Destination is key, along withinteresting shore excursions and stimulating lecture programmes.

Join forces with local arts clubs, walking clubs and otherspecialist-interest groups to run events or joint promotions.

Cross-sell cultural cruises to your existing escorted tour customer database. These customers might be new to cruise, so highlight that a cruise holiday offers the same (if not more!)cultural experiences as an escorted holiday.

Highlight the benefits of choosing a small ship for this type of cruise, enabling customers to explore smaller ports and off thebeaten track destinations.

TOPTIPS

A to Z OF FAVOURITE CRUISE PORTS

CTN | INDEPENDENT VOICE


Acruise specialist that takes thetime to really learn about thedifferent cruise brands can reap

the benefits with their knowledge.Expedition cruising has really taken off

in the last few years – no longer do yourclients have to sail on large Russian icebreakers in cramped conditions; nowadaysyou can cruise in ultra-luxury on muchmore refined vessels.

A real pioneer for luxury expeditioncruising has to be Silversea with its SilverExplorer expedition ship. Refurbished tothe company’s high standards, and withhandpicked expedition staff on board, thissmall vessel sails to Antarctica in the

Austral Summer and the Arctic Circle fromJune to August.

Silver Explorer sails from Ushuaia tothe Antarctic – and with just 100passengers on board, they are allguaranteed to get off and get on the ice.

Due to the recent climate change andglobal warming, the fabled NorthwestPassage has become navigable. There are afew companies now offering this trip,usually departing from Kangerlussuaq inGreenland to Nome in Alaska. Theaforementioned Silver Explorer operatesthis route, as does Hapag Lloyd Cruisesand Compagnie du Ponant. For yourclients that have “been there done that” –this is a great itinerary to offer them.

Expedition cruising is not limited tocold destinations – look at OrionExpedition Cruises and its fantasticitineraries around South East Asia,Australia, Polynesia, New Zealand andbeyond. For your wildlife loving clientsthe Borneo itineraries offer closeencounters with Orang-utans, birdsmammals and insects galore – all in thepresence of wildlife experts. Orion hasrecently been acquired by LindbladExpeditions, the US-based small shipexpedition company which partners withthe National Geographic Society forexpedition cruising.

Other destinations that you can

mention to your clients include the RussianFar East, Japan, Iceland, Norway,Spitsbergen and Greenland

Of course, small ship and expeditioncruising is not limited to the ocean. Rivercruising is still seeing continued growth,with new river boats being launched every year.

Suggest to your clients a cruise alongthe Amazon – but the Peruvian side asopposed to entering from the Brazilian eastcoast side. The cruise tour includes Lima,Cusco, Machu Pichu, Iquitos, and threedays on the Peruvian Amazon, all in thecompany of naturalist guides. You caneven tempt your clients with a flight overthe famed Nazca Lines. Now that surelyhas to be on a few people’s bucket list!

The Mekong is another very popularriver, with a number of excellent rivercruise lines offering extended cruise-toursto this fascinating part of the world.Talking of Asia, the Irrawaddy in Burmahas seen a surge of interest too.

The Mississippi is another river that’sgoing to be popular in 2014 - look at APTand Avalon for packages and cruise tours -and of course the Yangtze in China.

Small ships offer a friendlieratmosphere than large vessels, where youare a person and not a number, ideal forthose clients that enjoy smaller hotelsrather than the cookie-cutter big chains.They can also navigate shallower watersand visit those smaller ports of call that the mass market 3,000-passenger shipscannot access.

So next time you have a client lookingfor something off the beaten track, don’tforget to look at the smaller ships andexpedition style vessels – they will thankyou for it I’m sure.

For those agents that specialise in niche markets, theworld of small ships and expedition cruising is a greatone to be in – as long as you know your products and thedifferentials between the brands.BY SCOTT ANDERSON General manager of The Luxury Cruise Company

Small ship andexpedition cruising –a great niche sector

INDUSTRY OPIN ION | CTN

35SEPTEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 43 | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

Cruise is Big Business

More than 1.7 million Britons tooka cruise in 2012 – almost doublethe figure of a decade ago - and

that number is set to grow.A fundamental part of the holiday

booking process for many consumers is thetravel agent – not only do they organise thebooking, but their product knowledge andinsight help consumers make an informedchoice.

We were delighted earlier this year tolaunch the Cruise Lines InternationalAssociation (CLIA) in the UK and Ireland.An important part of its remit is to ensurethat our partners in the travel agentcommunity are equipped with the tools tosell cruise holidays effectively.

With the ever-increasing growth in thenumber of people taking cruise holidays,this is also a major revenue growthopportunity for travel agents.

CLIA UK & Ireland offers a number ofservices to the travel agent communityincluding training, shared marketing andpromotional activities, greater support andnetworking opportunities. The teamdelivers learning online, at seminars,specialist expo events, evening showcasesand at larger cruise conferences.

Following the launch of a brand newtraining website (www.cruiseexperts.org)with new courses and learning platforms,

we’re delighted that CLIA UK & Irelandhas become the first organisation to berecognised for the excellent standard oftravel agent cruise training by the UK’sleading awards company in vocationaltraining – City & Guilds.

A key milestone in CLIA’s UK &Ireland calendar is Columbus Day – whichtakes place in Liverpool this month.

The event is designed to help delegatesrealise their full business potential andincrease their cruise sales, and will beattended by travel agent owners, directorsand senior managers.

More than 400 delegates are expectedto attend and will hear topics from a topline of business experts ranging fromglobal changes within cruising to howretailing is adapting to reflect a rapidlychanging customer.

I will be addressing attendees, alongwith Michael Bayley, president & CEO ofCelebrity Cruises, Neil Palomba, MSCCruises’ corporate operating officer, andNathan Philpott, sales & marketing directorat Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

We will be joined by Jo Malone, whosefragrances are one of the world’s best-selling luxury lines, and Mike Southon,best-selling author and businessambassador and mentor for the City ofLiverpool.

Group managing director of Mail News-papers, Guy Zitter, whose career hasincluded running his own restaurant andnightclubs, also joins our distinguishedline up.

The event will conclude with the CLIAUK & Ireland Cruise Excellence Awardswhich recognise the extensive contribu-tions made by members of the travel agentcommunity within the cruise sector.

As we look forward to 2014 withconfidence and optimism, Columbus Dayprovides CLIA with a valuable opportunityto update our travel agent partners, andacknowledge the vital contribution theymake to the cruise industry.

Christine Duffy is chief executive of Cruise Lines International Association

CLIA’s Columbus Day in Liverpool highlights how thegrowing UK cruise market can be big business for thetravel industry, says Christine Duffy


Am I the only one who remembers thatCarnival UK axed Ocean Village in 2010because fly-cruising in the Mediterraneandidn’t make any money? And that Fred. OlsenCruise Lines dropped its Caribbean fly-cruiseson Braemar in March 2012 for just the samereason? And am I the only one wonderingwhy, therefore, P&O Cruises (also part ofCarnival, remember) is launching fly-cruises inthe Med on Ventura next year? And why Fred.Olsen has introduced four fly-cruises in theCaribbean on Braemar for 2015? Clearly thegovernment disease of U-turns is ascontagious as norovirus.

I wrote in May how lovely it was to see PatrickRyan back in the industry as chief operatingofficer for All Leisure Group’s Voyages ofDiscovery and Swan Hellenic cruise brands. I even managed to catch up with him for alunch on board Minerva in Portsmouth. So I am sad to report that he has resigned afterless than four months. All Leisure citespersonal reasons for his departure. I wish him well.

Now the one thing you might think you needon a walking holiday, even if the bits inbetween the walks are on a luxurious cruiseship, are hiking boots. But not, it would seem,if you are CTN’s intrepid cruiser Jane Archer.Apparently she thought about taking them onher Footloose cruise with Hebridean IslandCruises (see page 24) but decided she wouldbe more comfortable in trainers. She was, andshe loved the cruise. Problem is, and I quote,‘the Scottish islands are covered in bogs, evenat the top of the hills, and I spent much of mytime in them!’

Hebridean’s chief operating officer KenCharleson wasn’t commenting but he didpoint out that the company advises Footloosepassengers to pack proper walking boots and trousers.

I gather the trainers, wrecked by the end

of the cruise, never made it home.

What is it about solar eclipses? Demand hasbeen so great that Fred. Olsen now has threeships lined up to be positioned off the FaroeIslands on March 20 so passengers can seethe moon pass over the sun, turning day intonight. Don’t these people get enough nighttime in the UK in winter? This amazingastrological happening will last for all of twominutes 47 seconds. I just hope it’s not acloudy day!

Are we about to see Ian Buckeridge, ex ofSeaDream Yacht Club, turn up at Windstar?The company bought Seabourn’s three 212-passenger yachts earlier this year, taking itsfleet from three to six, so it badly needsrepresentation in the UK to help fill the craft.Remember you read it hear first.

Is America ready for some Smurf-tastic fun?I hope so because those pesky little blue-and-white mini-folk, led by the imaginatively-named Papa Smurf, have found their wayonto MSC Divina and they are staying put asthe MSC Cruises’ ship heads to Miami, whereit will be based year-round from November.There’ll be Smurf-themed family discos, aSmurf Live talent show, a Smurf parade andSmurf cookery sessions for the kids; best ofall, trailers from the new Smurf 2 film will beshown in the bars and lounges during familyactivities (see pictures). You have beenwarned.

And finally…My heart skipped a beat when I sawthat David Essex has been signed up toperform on P&O Cruises’ Azura as itsails from Southampton to Barbadoson November 1. I still can’t watch theend of Stardust without shedding atear. Me, an old softy?.. That’ll be the day!

CTN | MARIE CELESTE From fly-cruise to cruising Smurfs

cruise trade news september 2013

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