Cruise Adviser is the leading cruise publication for the travel trade. Uniquely aimed at front-line travel agents, two thirds of readers say the magazine has helped them make a sale.
The multi-award-winning magazine covers the entire cruise industry, from the smallest ships to the largest, expedition vessels to ultra-luxury yachts, in an unbiased and informative way. Each issue contains all the latest cruise news, including ship launches, fam trips, incentives and new hires, with features written by the best travel writers in the country. Designed in a clean, elegant style, and packed with intelligent, thought-provoking journalism, Cruise Adviser is a trade publication with the ethos of a consumer magazine. Cruise Adviser covers cruise lines that it deems relevant and newsworthy, regardless of whether or not they advertise. It is the only trade magazine to include a comprehensive and free directory section.
In November 2020, Cruise Adviser will relaunch in a new interactive, digital-only format. You can see a prototype of the new-look magazine here and read more about our reasons for going digital only here.
Cruise Adviser is published 12 times a year on the second Wednesday of the month.
The Cruise Digest, Cruise Adviser’s weekly newsletter that surveys the state-of-play in the cruise industry, is out each Wednesday. If you have not signed up to the receive Cruise Adviser and The Cruise Digest, please do so here.
Cruise Adviser recently launched two video series: ship tours produced in association with bloggers Ben & David and Cruise Adviser Conversations, which features interviews with leading industry people. The new format of Cruise Adviser will allow for more video content, both in editorial and promotions.
In 2019, Cruise Adviser launched The Cruise 20 awards, in which readers are asked to vote for their favourite cruise lines in 20 categories, from best pizza to best agent awards. The categories are:
Best overall (Ocean)
Best overall (River)
Best kids’ club
Best spa
Best fast-food restaurant
Best steak
Best pizza
Best for vegetarians and vegans
Best wine list
Best ex-UK specialist
Best expedition line
Most environmentally friendly
Best UK-based ship
Best interior design
Best water park
Best on-ship gadget
Best crew
Best agent awards programme
Best for family
Best celebrity tie-in
The next Cruise 20 award winners will be revealed in August 2021.
In 2019, Cruise Adviser ran a series of events themed around different areas of the industry, including luxury and adventure cruise, as well as its Christmas Bash. Events planned for 2020 were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are plans to host virtual and in-person events in 2021.
Trade Feature of the Year – Travel Media Awards 2017, 2018, 2019 (winner); Trade Feature of the Year — Clia Media Awards 2017 (winner); Trade Feature of the Year — Travel Media Awards 2017 (winner); Trade Publication of the Year — Travel Media Awards 2017, 2018, 2019 (nominated); Trade Feature Writer of the Year — Travel Media Awards 2019 (nominated) (Sam Ballard); Trade Feature Writer of the Year — Travel Media Awards 2017 (nominated) (Anthony Pearce).
Cruise Adviser is created by Waterfront Publishing. See waterfront-publishing.com for more details.
Advertising and partnerships
Sam Ballard, director
sam@waterfront-publishing.com
Bryan Johnson, senior sales manger
bryan@waterfront-publishing.com
020 3865 9338
07532 709 734
Editorial
Anthony Pearce, director
anthony@waterfront-publishing.com
Cruise Adviser
Hop Exchange,
Southwark Street,
London, SE1 1TY
020 3865 9360
info@cruise-adviser.com
Cruise Adviser’s distribution has been built over seven years, through individual sign-ups and partnerships with traditional high street agents, such as Tui, Hays Travel, Barrhead and Trailfinders; consortia such as Advantage and Midlands Co-operative; and homeworkers such as GoCruise, Cruise118 and cruise.co.uk. It is aimed at front-line travel agents – those selling the cruises.
Cruise-adviser.com, on which Cruise Adviser magazine is hosed, is visited by an average of 18,000 unique users a month. It ranks highly on Google News and, through a partnership with Widgety, appears on the intranets of every major travel agency group. Links to the magazines appear on the Clia website.
Cruise Adviser is also distributed to a database of 3,400 UK travel agents, as is the weekly Cruise Digest newsletter. Branch email addresses are usually opened by several members of staff, giving a far higher readership.
— Steve Brooks, Glenfield Travel
– Linda Cunningham, Scotland’s Cruise Centre
Cruise Adviser surveyed the top 500 of its most engaged readers. These readers are those who have most frequently communicated with the Cruise Adviser team, entered competitions and attended Cruise Adviser events.
The survey found that:
83 per cent of readers regularly complete training modules
69 per cent regularly attend industry events
86 per cent of readers are members of cruise line reward clubs – 61 per cent are members of three or more
93 per cent have sold a cruise in the last month – and 27 per cent have sold more than 11 cruises in that time
In an average month, 62 per cent sell a luxury cruise
57 per cent sell an ex-UK cruise
43 per cent sell a river cruise
29 per cent sell a family cruise
10 per cent sell an expedition cruise
14 per cent sell cruise on a small ship
Combined, these readers have sold cruises on 42 different cruise lines
In 2021, Cruise Adviser will launch its first members’ club – the Cruise Adviser Gold Club. Cruise Adviser Gold Members will form part of an elite group of agents who are experts in cruise.
The top four per cent of our most engaged readers, these agents will have access to exclusive Cruise Adviser events and prizes – and will also help shape the editorial direction of the magazine.
Members will sell, on average, more than 10 cruises a month, regularly complete training modules, attend industry get-togethers and fam trips, and be part of several cruise line reward schemes.
As Cruise Adviser Gold Members, these agents will experience the following benefits:
1. Entry into prize draws for vouchers and cash prizes
2. Guaranteed fam trip places on one of three possible trips each year
3. Invites to twice-a-year Cruise Adviser supper clubs
4. Invites to all Cruise Adviser events
5. Cruise Adviser Gold Member badge for use in email signatures and other marketing
Waterfront is the award-winning publisher behind ABTA Magazine and Cruise Adviser, but is increasingly known for its in-house creative agency, The Studio, which offers copywriting, proofreading, video and design solutions.
As long-time publishers in the travel industry, Waterfront has worked with a number of clients in the sector – from tourist boards to operators, travel agents to cruise lines – writing and proofreading brochure copy, designing adverts, handling print relationships, creating magazines and more.
Whether you are working on a digital relaunch, a new marketing campaign or just need some copy turning around quickly, The Studio is here to help. Plus, with our Studio Promise, we’ll match any quote on price and beat it on turn-around time.
For more, please email info@waterfront-publishing.com
Cruise Adviser is created by Waterfront Publishing, an award-winning independent magazine publisher based in central London. Waterfront creates print, mobile and online media and provides editorial, design, proofreading and marketing. It is a member of the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) and a partner of ABTA.
As well as its flagship title Cruise Adviser, Waterfront also produces ABTA Magazine on behalf of ABTA, the Travel Association. The magazine forms the centrepiece of a range of ABTA publications including a series of ABTA Magazine destination and trend supplements; ABTA Golf and the ABTA Country Guides. In October 2019, ABTA Magazine won Trade Publication of the Year at the Travel Media Awards.
Waterfront offers contract publishing services and has produced magazines for Travelzoo; Emerald Waterways, the Cruise Lines International Association, UK and Ireland (Clia); Cruise & Maritime Voyages; The Travel Village, JV Pastor Groupe and Advantage Travel Partnership.
See waterfront-publishing.com for more details.
Advertising
Bryan Johnson, senior sales manger
bryan@waterfront-publishing.com
020 3865 9338
075 3270 9734
Editorial and partnerships
Sam Ballard, director
sam@waterfront-publishing.com
Anthony Pearce, director
anthony@waterfront-publishing.com
Waterfront Publishing
Hop Exchange,
Southwark Street,
London, SE1 1TY
020 3865 9360
info@waterfront-publishing.com
