Lots of Cruise News, as Europe and Alaska Seasons Kick Off | Travel Research Online

Image
Image

Lots of Cruise News, as Europe and Alaska Seasons Kick Off

As the busy cruise seasons in Europe and Alaska begin, TRO met with a number of executives to talk about what’s new and exciting for 2023 and beyond.

AMAWaterways’ Janet Bava said the 2023 river cruise season is “going to be phenomenal,” and much of her focus will be on “the relationship with travel advisors, making sure they have the tools they need.”

Most exciting is the new destination of Colombia, where AMA ships will sail the Magdalena for the first time.

“Colombia has been an up-and-coming destination for some time,” Bava told TRO, and an AMA river cruise offers “an incredible opportunity” to see popular sites like Cartagena, as well as the art, the culture, the coffee and the birds of a year-round warm-weather destination that’s just 2.5 hours from Miami.

“Oceans take you to countries, but rivers take you through them,” Bava noted. “River cruising is about visiting small towns and seeing more.”

Also exciting and new from AMA are its three seven-river journey itineraries, each spanning 46 nights across 14 countries. There are a few cabins left for the summer journey beginning June 1, and more for the fall, beginning August 30, Bava said.

Popular demand and a warming climate also have AMA extending its Portugal and France sailings into December for the first time, and launching a second ship in 2024 on the Nile in Egypt—“another popular destination that continues to sell out for us,” she said. “As long as there is demand Rudi (AMA co-owner Rudi Schreiner) wants to continue to add ships there.”

Also “selling like hotcakes” are AMA’s complimentary land packages, “a huge value for travel advisors,” which allow customers to add three nights in a different city, such as Prague, Budapest, Lucerne or Zurich.

With pandemic closings behind us, Bava is “excited to be marketing again, keen to have that call to action, and continuing to grow the sales team. We’re spending a lot of money in coop marketing because that’s the most effective, when we drive that business back to a travel advisor. And we’re telling travel advisors to do video marketing and advertorials where they talk about their own trips.”

Travel advisors also might consider focusing on selling Europe in February, when air fares are low and lines are short at even the most popular churches and museums. Sailing off-season on AMA’s heated ships offers an “amazing opportunity for a wonderful indoor experience and scenic views at a great value” for art lovers or for Valentine’s Day, Bava said.

 

It’s a packed house at an MSC press conference about Explora Journeys. Image: Cheryl Rosen

 

Luxury and More Luxury

Much of the news, though, was aimed at the profitable—and apparently growing—luxury cruise market.

Arguably the biggest news was from MSC. Its new luxury line, Explora Journeys, is a $3.75 billion investment in “a slower pace of travel” for small, intimate groups of 2 to 25 guests, set to debut in July.

It’s the right product for the right time, Explora Journeys chief sales officer Chris Austin told TRO.

“We have seen an increased demand for personalized luxury travel experiences, and Explora Journeys meets the desire for this type of travel,” he said. “Explora Journeys’ all-inclusive experiences are the ultimate way to indulge in luxury travel,” offering off-the-beaten-path and immersive experiences, intuitive service, wellbeing programs, 11 distinct culinary experiences and a bottle of champagne in every suite.

January was the line’s largest booking month so far—and while the six Northern European itineraries are proving popular, so too are the US and the Caribbean. So are several six-night Caribbean journeys, designed to attract a younger demographic.

For the travel advisor channel upon whom Explora Journeys will depend, the company has developed “innovative, industry-first platforms and bold commercial terms,” including an industry-first “By Appointment” service in which travel advisors can set up an appointment with an Explora Journeys customer experience representative, thus putting an end to the dreaded on-hold time.

Travel advisors can then place a hold on a specific suite for one or more of the eight inaugural journeys during Explora I`s first year, including the maiden journey in July 2023. Or they can invite clients to join a call with an Explora Journeys Ambassador, who can answer questions and assist with finalizing their reservations.

The 922-guest Explora I will begin her 15-night maiden journey from Southampton, UK, on July 17. In 2024, she will sail northern Europe, Iceland, New England, the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii, and summer in Hawaii, offering 10- and 11-night itineraries. Her sister ship, Explora II, will enter service in August 2024 and sail the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and Africa, stopping at 82 ports in 26 countries. MSC has said it plans four more luxury ships by 2028.

The lieu of a main dining room, the ships will have six restaurants, 18 live cooking stations, and 12 bars and lounges, as well as four pools and 64 private cabanas.

At Seatrade last month, meanwhile, two other companies also sailed onto the luxury river cruise scene, bringing new ideas and a new focus on the new-to-cruise market. The Riverside Collection Americas division of Riverside Luxury Cruises, which now owns all five of the former Crystal ships, “wants to own the affluent multigenerational market,” according to CEO Jennifer Halboth. And taking a unique tack, Transcend Cruises is offering only full-ship charters to private groups.

Riverside is planning more daytime sailings than is currently the norm, Halboth said, “so you can sit at the bar and watch the scenery.” It hopes to entice its target audience of first-time cruisers with four-night itineraries and “savvy travel advisor packages” that can be marketed in place of FITs to “create some amazing groups.”

“The luxury traveler is underrepresented in the river cruise space,” Halboth says. “The industry doesn’t grow if we just swap clients. I want that family of five that spends a week skiing.”

Transcend Cruises, meanwhile, originally had planned to launch when its ships are delivered in 2025. But a new deal to lease the former Crystal Mahler, now owned by Riverside, instead has made Transcend ready to go on August 1, 2024.

“Because retail bookings are so strong, we have a big book of business to fulfill. So we are thrilled to partner with Riverside to do that,” Shollar said. “The ship has many of the attributes that we’ll be bringing to our ships: lower guest counts, large galleys, and customized food and beverage. So, we’ll start operating this year.”

 


Cheryl Rosen on cruiseCheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.

Share your thoughts on “Lots of Cruise News, as Europe and Alaska Seasons Kick Off”

You must be a registered user and be logged in to post a comment.