Incentives from MSC, Celestyal, Scenic & more

Scenic Eclipse II

AmaWaterways has introduced the third instalment of its AmaAcademy, an interactive online learning platform designed to help travel agents expand their business with the luxury river cruise line. The newest course entitled ‘‘The Rhine, Main, and Moselle Rivers with AmaWaterways’’ highlights a selection of the cruise line’s most popular European itineraries and compliments the Course 2 learning module which focused on Danube itineraries. Newcomers to AmaAcademy have the opportunity to earn £75 in reward gift cards by completing all three courses and making three reservations within 90 days of each course’s completion. The AmaAcademy curriculum comprises: Course 1: AmaWaterways, Heart of the River™; Course 2: The Danube River with AmaWaterways; Course 3: The Rhine, Main and Moselle Rivers with AmaWaterways. AmaAcademy forms an integral part of the AmaWaterways Travel Agent Portal which also provides access to a range of tools including the Online Booking Engine, current promotions and 30 valuable marketing toolkits highlighting sales strategies and resources to encourage ocean cruisers to try river cruising with AmaWaterways. Other educational opportunities include trade rates; weekly Webinar Wednesdays, and webinars with sales tips and destination information can also be accessed via the portal. An overbranded website facility, as well as overbranded brochures and flyers are accessible via the Travel Agent Portal. To book an AmaWaterways river cruise for a client, visit  AmaWaterways.co.uk or call 0800 520 2250.

MSC Cruises ‘Big Cruise Giveaway,’ is exclusively for UK and Irish travel agents. Until March 31, 2024, MSC Cruises will distribute scratch cards to travel agents throughout the UK and Ireland, offering 13 balcony cabins for lucky agents to win a 7-night cruise for two on specific sailings. Successful UK-based travel agents are given the chance to pick any 7-night sailing aboard MSC Virtuosa from Southampton during specific seasons this year. Meanwhile, for Irish travel agents, winners can choose any 7-night voyage among MSC Cruises ships sailing the Mediterranean this summer 2024 including MSC World Europa, MSC Seaview, MSC Seaside, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia, MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Musica, MSC Opera, MSC Orchestra, MSC Sinfonia, and MSC Splendida. T&C’s apply to the ‘Big Cruise Giveaway’. For more details on the terms and conditions or for travel agents to make bookings, visit mscbook.com

Celestyal has launched a £100 incentive, available on all bookings made before February 29. The extra earning opportunity, live from January 12, is available to all travel agents and offered across Celestyal’s full 2024 and 2025 product range. The news comes following Celestyal’s recent year-round operations launch, with the line visiting a further four new countries and six ports of call in the Persian Gulf from November 2024. All destinations, including the new itineraries, form part of Celestyal’s current winter savings promotion, with prices for a seven-night ‘Heavenly Adriatic’ cruise covering ports in Montenegro, Croatia and Italy sailing from Athens, starting from £529pp. A seven-night ‘Desert Days’ cruise from Doha to Bahrain, Dubai, Oman, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi leads in from £469pp.  Celestyal is also offering 50% off all Celestyal Plus+ Experience packages, along with reduced single supplements of 30% and low child fares, with up to 70% off the third or fourth guest in a cabin. To register bookings or for more information email Celestyal’s agency sales team on tradesupport@celestyal.com.

Scenic is offering agents the chance to win one of ten places onboard the award-winning Scenic Eclipse this spring. The new ‘Sell Three, Sail Free’ incentive is open to all agents who confirm three new bookings onboard selected Scenic Eclipse I or Scenic Eclipse II sailings before February 29, 2024. Itineraries featured include new for 2024 voyages that cross some of the world’s most exclusive locations; from the Kimberley coastline of Australia to the East Coast of Antarctica. For guests looking to sail closer to home, nine- and 10-day Northern and Western European sailings are also included. The new agent incentive comes hot on the heels of the rollout of Scenic Luxury Cruises biggest new year peaks campaigns. Featuring its largest ever discounts – up to 35 per cent off their range of luxury ocean cruises, plus free return flights* and private door-to-door transfers, – a suite of marketing collateral and support, including dedicated social media jpegs and window posters. Ten agent places are available as part of the ‘Sell three, Sail Free’ incentive. To be in with a chance of winning one of the 10 places on board, agents should send their three booking references to agencysales@scenic.co.uk by March 8, 2024. Agents interested in working with the group should contact their local sales manager at agencysales@scenic.co.uk or call 0161 233 1988 for more information on the Sell Three Sail Free and triple rewards incentives.

Windstar has announced the return of its popular WAVE sale Pick Your Perk. Travel agents can offer their clients who book voyages with Windstar Cruises exceptional savings and customised experiences while travelling to iconic destinations around the globe. Plus, agents earn their own perks. From now until February 29, 2024, travellers can “Pick Your Perk”: one free hotel night (which can be used pre- or post-cruise) OR up to $1,000 Onboard Credit which can be used for Windstar’s award-winning shore excursions and adventures, spa services or even special celebratory cocktails. Premium suite guests can select an upgrade to the All-Inclusive Fare which includes all alcohol, wifi, and all gratuities. The WAVE offer is applicable to all sailings through May 2026 including Star Legend’s first ever winter and Christmas itineraries in Europe which cost from just £1,230 per person, making it a very affordable way to not only experience Windstar for the first time, but also to city break in Europe over the winter. Other options include the Caribbean; Greek Isles; Tahiti (with new experiences aboard the 312 guest all-suite Star Breeze); and even the cruise line’s new destinations such as South America and the Canary Islands. Agents will earn a £100 Amazon gift card for each stateroom/suite booked by February 29, 2024 in any destination through 2026. To claim their Amazon gift card agents should email Augustus Lonsdale, Windstar’s head of sales UK & Ireland at augustus.lonsdale@windstarcruises.com.  Further details of all offers are available on the Windstar Cruises Agent Hub. To set up a log-in agents should email Augustus Lonsdale. For reservations call 0808 178 2233 or visit windstarcruises.com

Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Moments campaign is giving the top 100 agents the chance to win £500 each, unlocking unlimited earning potential for top sellers. All agents will also receive a £50 bonus for every five new bookings they claim. Plus, Celebrity is making rewards for travel partners more accessible for all agents, regardless of if they are an experienced seller or a beginner. New-to-cruise agents will also earn a £25 bonus for the first three Celebrity Cruises bookings they make and claim on Celebrity Rewards. Agents simply need to make as many new Celebrity Cruises bookings as possible between now and February 29, 2024 and register them on Celebrity Rewards to be in with the chance to win. The top 100 winning agents will receive £500 to spend however they like on their Celebrity Rewards Mastercard. All agents will also continue to ‘Earn on Every Booking’ earning £20 for The Retreat®; £10 for AquaClass®, Concierge and Balcony staterooms; £5 for Interior and Oceanview staterooms. Celebrity has additional prize giveaways on the ‘Celebrity Loves Agents’ Facebook group. Between now and mid-February*, agents can look forward to weekly interactive competitions, encouraging agents to brush up on their knowledge of the brand to be in with the chance of winning. The line has also launched its selling guide for 2024 which includes everything clients need to know, from sailings in the school holidays to packaging advice. Agents can request a personalised printed copy or download a digital version on Celebrity Central. Celebrity Cruises have used travel partners’ feedback to shape new updates, and travel partners can use the platform to access the dedicated Wave toolkit, home to everything agents might need including ready-made social media assets, brand videos, 2024 itinerary flyers and more. Celebrity’s digital 2024 brochure is also available for travel partners to download on Celebrity Central, and printed copies will be available in stores. Celebrity Cruises’ turn of year offer invites travellers to ‘Have it All’ and receive up to 75% off the second guest on almost all itineraries sailing until April 30, 2026. Travel partners can offer clients a European summer getaway with six ships, including Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Apex sailing Europe in 2024. Their clients can also take advantage of deals on flights from just £49 per person, on selected sailings in 2024** from London Gatwick and Manchester. For further information, tools and support, visit celebritycentral.co.uk. Agents can also contact the UK sales team or trade support for help, advice, or training.

The Expedition Cruise Network has published the digital ‘Selling Expedition Cruising: Wave 2024’ guide for travel agents, a live data document exclusively designed to help navigate Wave 2024 expedition cruise offers and promotions to make the most of sales peaks in 2024. In addition to linking to current Wave promotions, the guide outlines the USPs and differences of individual expedition cruise operators; delves into the unique features that set expedition cruising apart from ocean cruising; shares selling tips for top performing destinations and explores target demographics of typical expedition cruise travellers. For more information, please see – expeditioncruisenetwork.com/home

APT & Travelmarvel has launched its biggest ever New Year Agent Incentive. The new Book Four & Go Explore* campaign rewards agents who make four or more bookings during the incentive period to March 4, 2024, with a Travelmarvel sailing on the Mekong, Douro, Rhine or Danube rivers, or Croatia’s Adriatic Coast. This is the first time that long-haul travel has been included in one of APT’s trade incentives. In addition, agents will receive a £30 LOVE2SHOP voucher for every booking made during the Book Four & Go Explore incentive period, which can be used to shop at over 90 brands, including M&S, Argos, and TK Maxx. Individual agents securing four or more bookings across the portfolio of five-star APT and flexible four-star Travelmarvel river, small ship and expedition cruises or tours, will secure themselves a cabin on a fantastic Travelmarvel sailing on Travelmarvel’s newest ship, the MS Estrela on the Douro River; Travelmarvel’s recently launched vessel on the Mekong, the RV Apsara; one of the consistently five-star rated Contemporary River Ships on the Rhine or Danube rivers; or Travelmarvel’s ever-popular Croatian yachting aboard the Princess Eleganza. Agents should submit their details and booking references via the APT & Travelmarvel claim form, available from the APT Agent Club (APTAgentClub.co.uk) before the end of the incentive period.

This Wave Season, HX is giving 100 agents the chance to win a place on a FAM trip to the Galapagos, and travellers free international flights for adventures to its roster of bucket-list destinations. Running to March 31, 2024, the flights promotion applies to HX international arrival and departure packages on flights from London Gatwick and London Heathrow. The offer applies to all scheduled voyages to Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, the Northwest Passage, Svalbard and selected Galápagos voyages between March 29, 2024, and March 30, 2025 (see T&C’s for a breakdown of discounts per destination). During Wave Season, 1893 Ambassador members can enjoy exclusive discounts of up to 10%*, with Level 1 members receiving a 5% discount for offline bookings and Level 2 members enjoying a 10% discount for both online and offline bookings (available for new bookings made to January 31, 2024 on departures until March 30, 2025). Existing members automatically benefit from offers when providing membership details at booking. Joining the 1893 Ambassador program is free, and travellers instantly become Level 1 members upon signup. Visit their website to become a member and explore details on the loyalty Wave offer.

Riviera Travel has added a free ‘Superior’ drinks package to its 2024 European river cruises – the first ever time the line has made a complimentary drinks offer available across an entire season. Applied to all new and existing bookings, the package allows guests to enjoy unlimited drinks including house wines, draught beer and soft beverages over lunch. Each evening (6pm until midnight), guests have access to all this plus a cocktail of the day, house spirits and mixers, selected aperitifs and digestifs and a regional wine with dinner. The ‘Superior’, worth £400pp per week, proved the most popular with customers following a comprehensive research campaign. The package applies to over 300 departures, across 13 different itineraries, ranging from four to 14 nights (seven are dedicated to solo travellers). All 2024 departures include the Superior drinks package; return flights with regional airport options available at no additional cost; Eurostar travel on select itineraries; full board; and scheduled visits and tours. For information, visit rivieratravel.co.uk or call 01283 523431.

Riviera Travel has also launched a trade incentive with £40,000 of prizes up for grabs. Agents who make a Riviera booking in February will automatically be entered into a giveaway draw. A wide range of rewards are available to agents selected at random, including Riviera Travel escorted tours to Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India or the American deep south with all expenses paid; Riviera Travel river cruises to destinations across Europe with all expenses paid; one of three Riviera Travel holiday voucher and merchandise packages, worth over £3000 each; iPads with air pods; iPhones; large size HD TVs; Dyson Airwraps or hairdryers; Ninja air fryers. The river cruise and escorted tour specialist is offering a host of departures in 2024 and 2025, including sailings to the Seine, Rhine, Rhone, Danube, Douro, Nile and Mekong, and tours to all seven continents of the world. The winners will be announced weekly via Riviera Travel’s trade social channels.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has introduced a range of trade-friendly features and resources on its website to help further support agents. A raft of training opportunities, sales tools and information resources are now available online. They include an online ‘booking guidelines’ page, which contains details of how agents can work with cruise lines to become an authorised seller, and make a booking or access both availability and price; a compilation of the latest fam trip, ship visit and network opportunities; an outline of the online training opportunities that are directly on offer via CLIA’s ocean, river, luxury and expedition member cruise lines, and new ‘Itinerary Experience’ factsheets to boost destination knowledge of three key cruise itineraries: the western Mediterranean, eastern Caribbean and northern Europe. For more information visit cruising.org

Silversea’s Suite Upgrades promotion provides benefits on select voyages departing before May 31, 2024. Available on door-to-door fares only and includes up to a two-category suite upgrade on selected voyages for selected suite categories, and USD 1000 shipboard credit per suite. Door-to-door all inclusive fares feature a refundable, reduced 15% deposit and price guarantee, private transfers, international flights and business class upgrades, in-country air and hotels when required by the itinerary, and airport transfers and luggage handling.

With River Rewards & More, travel agents can earn luxury gifts for every Scenic and Emerald Cruises booking they make. The more river cruises, escorted tours or ocean cruises they book, the higher the rewards, with the chance of earning bonus points. Find out more at riverrewards.cruises.

Enter your Cunard fare bookings to play the line’s online deck game and earn Shine points. Combine Cunard and P&O Cruises Shine points to choose from a selection of rewards, including beauty products, the latest technology and electronics, or even a cruise. Redeem your Shine points to pay for 25 per cent, 50 per cent or 100 per cent of a Cunard voyage. Find out more at shinerewardsclub.com.

Encourage a travel agent friend to sign up to Cruise Adviser and we’ll enter you in a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher. Make sure they enter your details when asked for a reference name. If you’re not subscribed, do so here.