It’s one of the fastest growing industries in Australia and around the world, but there are still clients out there that are hesitant to take that step onto a ship and call themselves a cruiser.
A new study in the UK has compiled a list of challenges travel agents and cruise lines face to convince non-cruisers that the industry is for them.
According to the survey of people that have never been on a cruise 36 percent said they were ‘strongly’ or ‘possibly’ considering a cruise.
There are still a number of travellers hesitant to board a ship.
That’s on par with the 36 percent that said they’d consider it but not in the near future.
So we know there’s a strong market of people leaning towards booking.
Twenty-eight percent said they would not consider a cruise at all (party poopers).
For those willing to consider a cruise, they said their biggest concern is affordability.
Fifty-two percent said that was the biggest issue that stopped them from booking.
For any clients concerned about cost, be sure to stress the value cruisers get compared to other forms of travel.
This is particularly surprising considering an ocean cruise from Australia to the South Pacific can cost a little over $1,000. The cost covers almost everything from accommodation, food, entertainment and visits to a number of destinations.
How to bring down the barrier? Have more signs showcasing the value of cruising. Continuously talk up the benefits of cruising. Display the major savings cruise lines are always promoting – especially those earlybird river cruise sales that can often come with free flights.
Another major block in converting new cruisers was the type of holiday.
Many see it as a lazy holiday with nothing much to do, while others said they’d prefer to spend more time at each destination.
Cruise lines like Celebrity Cruises are introducing overnight stays at select destinations.
The solution? Cruise lines like Celebrity Cruises are introducing overnight stays in a number of popular destinations. This gives the clients almost two days to enjoy spots like Sydney, Rio de Janiero and more.
For those saying it’s a lazy holiday – have they heard of adventure cruising aka Lindblad Expeditions? Or how about amazing destinations like Alaska and Antarctica that are best experienced by ship? And don’t forget lines like Crystal Cruises that are planning to head deeper into the Northwest Passage where passengers will see polar bears and whales and take scenic helicopter flights of the frozen region.
The study also found concerns of seasickness is still a major barrier amongst 25 percent of those studied.
The only thing you can do is tell them they won’t know until they’ve tried.
Passengers really concerned about committing can trial the cruise life on a short itinerary.
Trying doesn’t mean booking a week-long cruise, encourage your clients to trial one of P&O and Royal Caribbean’s short cruises, which travel out to sea and return. It gives passengers a taste of what’s onboard and see how they feel out at sea.
And the last few barriers – 35 percent said they want to explore independently and 32 percent want to enjoy local cuisines.
Tell your clients once the ship is docked at a port, they’re free to stay onboard, join a tour organised by the cruise line or explore on their own. They’re not bound to the cruise ship or a certain tour while at port.
Now let’s chat about local cuisines. A number of cruise lines work with locals to incorporate local ingredients and dishes to their onboard menus.
For example, owners of the recently launched Aqua Mekong recruited Australian Michelin-starred chef, David Thompson to create a menu using ingredients used along the Mekong River such as khmer kampot pepper, Mekong River prawns and catfish.
