How to sell: themed cruises
Each issue, cruise expert Jane Archer shares her tips on selling a specific area of cruise. This time, she looks at how to sell themed cruises
Themed voyages are a great way for agents to sell cruises. They add an extra dimension to any voyage and help to bring people with common interests together, and if an advert for a themed cruise – let’s say gardening – piques the interest of a customer who might not be considering a holiday at sea, well, there’s a potential first-timer hooked.
Ocean and river cruise lines offer themed voyages to suit every interest and hobby imaginable, from cooking to sport. Clients can get the inside track on classical music on a Tauck river cruise, visit 2022’s once-a-decade Floriade horticultural show with gardening experts on an Arena river cruise and join celebrity chefs on three Windstar Cruises’ culinary-themed sailings.
The best themed cruises have experts on board and immerse passengers in the subject in hand through talks, tours or tasting. Read on for inspiration to offer clients interested in wine, literature and wildlife.
Selling tips:
- Promote relevant themed cruises to clubs and associations in your area
- Themed voyages are ideal for group bookings – a good earner for both agents and cruise lines
- Advertise themed cruises in the shop window. Who knows how many non-cruisers with a keen interest or hobby you might hook
- Update your database to include clients’ hobbies and interests so you can target themed cruises at the right people
Wine tasting. Image courtesy of AMAWaterways
Wine cruises
You don’t have to be a wine expert to enjoy a wine-themed cruise, but it helps to be fond of the odd red, white or rosé as these sailings have plenty of wine-tasting sessions on board and ashore. River cruise lines tend to hold sway when here (AmaWaterways alone has 63 wine cruises this year; others include Uniworld River Cruises and CroisiEurope) but a few ocean lines sneak in on the act now and then.
Go Italy
Who? SeaDream Yacht Club
Where? Mediterranean
When? October 5, 2022
How long? 10 days
How much? From £6,577pp
Exclusive wine-tastings, a special dinner featuring top cuvées from the visiting winemaker and trips to vineyards are among highlights on this wine journey from SeaDream. The cruise, one of three wine-themed voyages on offer this year, is on the 112-passenger SeaDream I round-trip from Civitavecchia (Rome). Price includes drinks and tips.
Go France
Who? AmaWaterways
Where? River Seine
When? July 2, 2022
How long? Eight days
How much? From £3,367pp including flights
French-born vintner Matthieu Finot, now a resident of the US state of Virginia, will be hosting this wine-themed voyage from Paris to Le Havre on the 144-passenger AmaDante. When not tasting wine or visiting vineyards, Paris, Monet’s garden and medieval Rouen await. Price includes transfers, drinks with lunch and dinner, a sip-and-sail cocktail hour, shore excursions and wi-fi.
Literature at sea
A cruise is always a good time to catch up with your reading, especially if there are lots of days at sea, but how much better for bookworms if books are the theme and there’s a chance to meet and be inspired by some of the world’s best-selling authors. After all, they say there is a novel in all of us. Literary-themed cruises are very much a niche but perfect for agents to promote at the local library.
Ocean cruise
Who? Cunard
Where? Transatlantic crossing
When? December 3, 2022
How long? Seven days
How much? From £1,599pp
Cunard’s Literary Festival at Sea returns with a star line-up of authors and poets including Ian Rankin, Maggie O’Farrell, Simon Armitage and Pam Ayres. They, and many others, will be on hand to take part in workshops, discussions and Q&A sessions. The cruise is on 2,691-passenger Queen Mary 2 sailing eastbound from New York to Southampton.
River cruise
Who? Avalon Waterways
Where? River Seine
When? July 19, 2022
How long? Eight days
How much? From £2,504pp
Sex comes to the Seine on Avalon’s series of Storyteller cruises on Europe’s waterways this summer. The cruise, round-trip from Paris on the 104-passenger Avalon Tapestry II, stars Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, who’ll be on hand to meet passengers and talk about her novels. Price includes excursions, wine, beer or soft drinks with lunch and dinner, plus wi-fi.
Image courtesy of Ambassador
Nature and wildlife
Whether clients cruise to the Galápagos, Antarctica, the Arctic or Russian Far East, they are guaranteed sightings of birds, polar bears, penguins and more, and an eagle-eyed expedition team on hand to help. For customers keen on nature who find that all a bit too adventurous (and expensive), suggest a themed cruise closer to home and accompanied by wildlife experts.
Arctic adventure
Who? Ambassador Cruise Line
Where? Iceland and Greenland
When? June 21, 2022
How long? 21 nights
How much? From £1,799pp
Polar explorers Louis Rudd, Ann Daniels and Wendy Searle, and volunteers from ORCA, a charity dedicated to studying cetaceans, are joining new cruise line Ambassador on this epic voyage to the Arctic in search of whales, dolphins and giant icebergs. The sailing is on the 1,400-Ambience round-trip from Tilbury.
Into the Delta
Who? Saga
Where? Danube Delta
When? June 18, 2022
How long? Seven nights
How much? From £1,499pp, including flights
Former BBC Springwatch presenter Martin Hughes-Games is headlining this bird-watching cruise into the Danube Delta with over-50s favourite Saga. The holiday, round-trip from Bucharest, pairs two nights in the Romanian capital with five nights on the 190-passenger Spirit of the Danube. Price includes UK transfers, drinks with lunch and dinner, tips, wi-fi and boat tours into the Delta.