After two years of staying home and dreaming about exciting ports to visit, people are now eager to head back out to the high seas.
Cruiseships arebooking hard and fast in 2022 , with many cruise lines saying that this buying trend is just the beginning:2023 is set to break all records. But with all that demand, travelers must navigate many different cruise companies in order to find the best deal. On top of those shopping choices, each cruise line’s set of policies and customer service lines require additional effort to research and decipher. Yet consumer complexity creates valuable sales opportunity - there’s never been a better time for travel agents to dive into the world of cruising.
Bucket list travel
One of thekey trendswe are seeing as some markets are emerging from lock-downs, is travelers’ desire to embrace life and take that “once-in-a-lifetime” trip. Quality of life is now a key wellness priority, thus leisure travelers indicate that they might take fewer trips but spend more money on each trip instead. And while “that special trip” will mean different things to different people, cruises consistently rank in the top of many people’s bucket list. At Amadeus, we are committed to support the recovery and growth of the dynamic leisure travel sector. We do this by providing travel companies with the most modern technology solutions so they can access a greater depth of travel content and better retailing capabilities. And unlocking the exciting potential within the cruise industry is fundamental to that aim.
From 30 cruise lines to one awesome platform
More than ever, travelers want travel to be personalized and customized, whether they travel for business or pleasure. They expect offers that make sense for them and their journey, and for that you need real choice. McKinsey’s report“Next in Personalization 2021”
reveals companies that excel at personalization generate 40 percent more revenue from those activities than average players, so it’s worth investing in to give your business the extra edge. This is where Amadeus Cruise Portal can play a pivotal role. It gives travel sellers and their customers access to book more than 30 of the world’s leading cruise lines in one place, spanning ocean cruises, river cruises, luxury brands and niche lines. The portal’s multimedia content will help your travelers get inspired to splurge on that room with a breathtaking view, or that extra adventure when the ship docks, to fulfil their particular travel dream. As an integral part of the Amadeus Travel Platform, whether accessed through the Amadeus Selling Platform Connect* or as a white label solution, the Amadeus Cruise Portal enables your sales teams to create compelling and tailormade vacation packages for their customers’ various needs. By combining the cruise booking with flights, hotels, rental cars or transfers in one PNR, you will enhance both the quality of your traveler’s ultimate experience as well as your revenues.
Evolving needs and expectations
Beyond personalized offers, strengthening the confidence and trust of the traveler is vital to recovery, and understanding what has changed in terms of traveler attitudes and sentiments are key. As uncertainty continues to unfold, the travel sellers of today need to evolve accordingly. Your agents play a more vital role than ever in providing true consultancy and insights to their customers and being there for them along their full customer journey – especially so in leisure travel, when everyone is paying out of their own pockets. With so many decisions to make when choosing the right cruise, and now in addition the extra time it takes to book (with all of the requirements and shortcomings that have come from the pandemic), it is vital to have the right technology at hand to service the needs of the traveler. The Amadeus Cruise Portal allows for comparison of real-time availability and pricing from up to six cruises simultaneously on a single screen, and the end-to-end management of a booking online in the portal. From search to booking, to payment and modifications - your sales staff can say goodbye to tiresome web searches and long phone hold times with cruise line call centers, and instead dedicate themselves to finding the perfect cruise and recommending all of the special extras to make it a memorable experience for their customers.
“The Amadeus Cruise Portal is fast, accurate and intuitive. It provides agents with an incredible product that is so easy to use, resulting in time saved and increased sales” Ken Hume, Owner, Stanley Tours Inc.
Developing tools for customer success
Amadeus is the global expert in helping travelers find and book the perfect package, with leisure travel bouncing back, we believe cruise has a role to play in renewing travel. Today, travelers are more mindful of the impact travel has on the environment and are demanding ways to reduce or eliminate the impact the environment their travel makes; enter cruise as an alternative option. The cruise industry is already making significant changes in using innovative solutions that will have a positive impact on the environment including advanced recycling protocols, energy efficient ship design, reverse osmosis water filtration systems and much more.
With the rise in demand for cruise travel coming out of the pandemic, our platform is a gateway to one of the widest spectra of cruise and travel content on the market today, and a way for travel sellers to meet the demand and grab the present opportunity in the high-value and high commission cruise market. So, if you’re ready to set sail with us, we’ll be happy to have you on board.
For more information on the Amadeus Cruise Portal and how it can support travel sellers business,click here .
* In key markets.
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