Elizabeth Clarke sure knows a thing or two about selling cruises. Not only has she worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years, but she has been focusing exclusively on cruising for almost two decades.
Elizabeth is the Cruise Manager at The Cruise Centre in Brisbane where she tailors the perfect cruise holidays to fit her clients.
She already has a very healthy number of cruise bookings locked in right up to 2021. How does she do it? You’re about to find out as she shares her hottest cruise selling tips with KARRYON readers.
When did you first realise cruising was a sector you wanted to focus on & build your sales?
After experiencing local cruises, I found them a great holiday option of all passenger types – singles, couples, families and decided to focus on this sector for that reason. I have worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years – focusing on cruising for almost 20 years now.
What were some of the first steps you took to increase cruise sales?
In 2001, I joined an agency that wanted to have a cruise specialist area and we started Cruising Travel which later became The Cruise Centre. We joined Cruiseco in 2001 to benefit from their specialist cruise focus, had a presence at travel expos and started a quarterly cruise newsletter.
What types of cruises were you selling initially? How has this changed over the last few years?
The initial newsletter from April 2001 (which I still have a copy of) included products from Cunard, Holland America, Celebrity, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line.
We still sell these products, but as our clients have travelled extensively and have become more knowledgeable, we are finding they are increasingly seeking inclusive cruise holidays and wanting to travel to diverse destinations. The increase in ship numbers, destinations and style as well as amplified marketing has made cruising more visible. As a Virtuoso member for the past 9 years, The Cruise Centre’s marketing has focused on those cruise lines that offer exclusive benefits to our clients.
Are you finding it easier to sell cruises to your clients these days? If yes, why do you think this is the case?
Advising clients on a cruise that will suit their needs, budget, style, destination etc, is based on a lot of research and planning. The CLIA Cruise Master training focuses on understanding your client and taking a tailored approach to which cruise brand will be the perfect match.
All cruise lines offer specific training on their products and it’s essential to keep up-to-date on new ships and destinations in this industry. The best kind of training is experiencing cruising; being onboard gives a much better understanding of the ship, the staff and the experience as a whole. My clients are interested to know about my cruise experiences, and what insights I can share with them – this all assists in helping the client understand which cruise is best for them.
How many cruises would you say you sell in a year?
The majority of my client bookings start with a cruise – I have bookings up to 2021! The number of cruises varies as The Cruise Centre is an agent for the Choose Your Cruise Music Charters and has booked large numbers of clients spanning across a 10 year period.
What types of cruises are the most popular among your clients?
Ocean cruises make up the majority of ship itineraries, with the ship style catering to anywhere between 100 to 3,000 passengers. My clients tend to favour the smaller and more inclusive cruise lines.
What type of marketing would you say you currently do to boost cruise sales?
Cruise marketing must reach a broad range of clients, therefore we have multi-platform marketing strategies on dedicated websites, cruise newsletters and magazines, joint events with cruise lines and social media.
What sector within cruise (ocean, river, expedition) do you think more Agents need to get into selling & why?
Agents need to focus on the type of cruise that would appeal to them as a traveller. This will result in the agent being knowledgeable on that style of cruise, and will ultimately attract clients looking for someone who can advise them on the benefits of selecting a cruise.
Which would you say is the hardest to sell & why how do you overcome those barriers?
The hardest sell is to a potential client that has travelled or researched extensively. They will work better with an advisor that is knowledgeable and aims to deliver a memorable holiday.
What do you do on a daily basis to boost your cruise sales?
Knowledge is power. I am constantly educating myself, learning on the job and learning from my clients, seeking feedback from recent trips my clients have taken, keeping up-to-date on local situations which may affect cruise travel.
Is cruising your preferred form of travel? If so, how many cruises have you been on?
Cruising in any form is a great holiday and my preferred form of travel. The world is 80% water so there are plenty of cruise options to experience.
I have cruised to many parts of the world – from Maiden Voyages to short sectors – ocean, river and expedition. There are still many oceans and rivers to cover so I hope to experience many more cruises in my career.
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