If there’s one style of trip that’s consistently popular with affinity groups, it’s cruising. But deciding to take a cruise is just the first step. There are many options to consider and decisions to make before you can start booking cabins.
With a wide range of ocean cruise lines and river cruise lines — and some lines that do both — it can be tough to know where to start. River cruises and ocean cruises both include domestic and international options. Some cruise lines offer great online booking tools, while some companies have representatives who can help, and some lines provide both.
Group leaders have many factors to consider when choosing cruises. You want your cruise to be popular among your travelers and for them to trust your products. It’s essential to make the right decisions for your travelers so they’ll love the trip and choose to travel with you, over and over again. Here are some things to consider when narrowing down the choices.
River or Ocean?
River cruising or ocean cruising: That is the question. River cruising often has a more intimate atmosphere because the vessels are much smaller than ocean liners. River cruising frequently offers inclusivity, meaning passengers don’t have to pay extra for every add-on. For example, beverages (even wine and beer) are included with meals, and the itinerary includes a daily walking tour of each city. While river cruises may offer additional paid excursions, there are fewer options than those of ocean cruises. Many river cruises have a minimum age of 12, so this is not an option for families with young children, especially because most cabins accommodate only two people. However, if your travel club is geared toward adults, this might be the option for your travelers.
Ocean cruises, on the other hand, take place aboard larger vessels that offer multiple restaurants and a wide variety of excursions. They also provide rooms for more than two people, which can appeal to families. And most ocean cruises are a hybrid of inclusive and a la carte pricing; traditional dining is included, but there are additional costs for specialty restaurants, certain drinks and excursions.
Ocean cruises offer a variety of onboard entertainment options, including evening shows, games, swimming, spa services and more. Yacht cruising, though, typically features a more intimate atmosphere and fewer activities and amenities. On these trips, meals, drinks and excursions are almost always included.
Domestic vs. International
Domestic cruising in the United States was a niche product for a long time, though it has recently been growing in popularity. The East and West coasts both offer ocean cruises. You may be interested in fall colors or wine country, and ocean cruising is a great way to experience either. River and Great Lakes cruising are also popular ways to explore our country. Though the prices might be higher than other cruising options, they generally include quite a lot.
Internationally, there are many more options, which means more decisions to make. A great way to narrow it down is to survey your travelers. Choose some popular destinations that your travel club hasn’t offered recently then ask your travelers for input. You may even try incentives to increase the response rate. You can also try looking at group travel trends, which can help sell your cruise.
Consider visiting a travel show to learn about current travel trends, too. If other travelers are already traveling to a specific location, your travelers are likely to see their pictures and notice when vendors are promoting that destination. This makes it easier for you when it’s time to sell. It’s essential to stay ahead of upcoming travel trends, and you can do this by attending workshops and discussing their projections with vendors. Vendors do extensive research to show you what to promote to your club.
Enlist the Pros
Many group-friendly cruise lines have representatives who are assigned to your region. Reach out to the group’s departments to find who your representative is. It’s great to have someone who can answer your questions and help promote your cruise. The representative is also responsible for keeping you in the loop on any policy changes and updates to ships, which will improve the process. And, if something goes wrong — either before or during your trip — your representative is just a call or email away.
How do you find your representative? Try calling or attending travel shows like the Select Traveler Conference. Your representative might not be present, but they can find someone in your area.
So, there are a lot of decisions to be made when choosing which cruise to advertise to your travel club. Do your research with different companies to find group-friendly options, survey your clients on popular destinations, choose your ideal destination and connect with a representative for the cruise line of your choice.
