Feature: Cruising

Overtourism – cruise ships do bring benefits

WITH more vessels

taking to the water,

new destinations

being added to itineraries

and increased passenger

numbers, the cruising

industry is seeing significant

growth. But with this growth

comes criticism.

In a Skift article, writer

Hannah Sampson says: “As

much as cruise lines don’t

want to take responsibility

for contributing to

overtourism, there’s no

denying that they flood

destinations with thousands

of visitors in a short time.”

The topic was discussed at

a global industry conference,

Seatrade Cruise Global,

with most heads of cruising

organisations acknowledging

that overtourism was a

threat to many popular

destinations but that

cruising was not entirely to

blame for this.

Inge Dobihal, Austria

Connection md, believes

there is another side to

the story. “This is certainly

a problem for cities with a

small centre such as Venice

or, relating to our products,

Dubrovnik and Split.

However, I don’t think that

this is not of benefit.”

While there are exceptions,

Inge says the majority of

cruise passengers who

disembark at a destination

will buy food, drinks and

souvenirs and many will go

on the various excursions.

This, she says, benefits the

local shops and restaurant

owners as well as local bus

companies and tour guides.

But, Inge adds: “I see

the necessity for some

restrictions or form of

entrance fee. A fee will most

probably deter some people

who are just visiting the

place for no other reason

than having nothing else to

do. It is unavoidable that

huge masses generate

some damage to old

structures, which require

money to maintain, repair

and preserve.”

Thaybz Khan,

contemporary brand

manager of Cruises

International, says: “In my

opinion, having too many

tourists is a great problem

to have… Having thousands

of visitors ultimately does

contribute to the overall

economy of the destination.”

Lucinda Tyler, sales

and marketing manager

of Perfect Destinations

representing the Globus

Family of Brands, says with

river cruising, ships are

smaller so the number of

visitors per destination is

less. “The towns that are

visited are generally smaller,

with tourism being their

main income. On our Avalon

river cruises, our guests

get to tour a destination

with a local expert who

will guide them through

the history and heritage

of local destinations,

encouraging them and

referring them to visit local

shops and restaurants.

We offer our guests the

opportunity to join activities

such as cooking classes

and painting workshops

as well as guided biking,

paddling or hiking tours

through scenic locales.

All of these contribute to

each destination’s tourism

industry.”

However, Shaun McCarthy,

gm of Whitestar Cruise

& Travel, believes some

Mediterranean destinations,

such as Venice and

Santorini, are overvisited by

cruise ships.

“But those destinations

have to manage themselves.

They can stop the cruise

ships from calling there and

I’m sure they will do so at

some stage. It’s all about

finding a balance.”

Indeed, Italian officials

have ruled that, by 2021,

cruise ships over 55 000

tonnes will be banned from

passing through St Mark’s

Basin and docking in Venice.

Cruise lines are aware of

the issue, says Stewart

Venn, owner of Triton Cape

Sea Travel, and have added

a variety of new calls on

cruises to diversify their

products.

“The spend ashore by

cruise guests can vary from

ship to ship as each has its

own profile of passenger.

Some will spend more

than others. Most cruise

lines strongly market shore

excursions to their guests…

so generally cruise ships do

deliver commercial benefit

to their ports of call.”

Ross Volk, md of MSC

Cruises SA, says the

company identifies areas

for its Southern African

cruising seasons that entice

travellers. “We then invest

in those areas through

developing the region and

creating jobs.”

 

Special-interest cruises

REGENT Seven Seas offers

a number of enrichment

cruises for passengers with

unique interests. These

include wine, heritage,

Broadway shows, floristry

and gardening and even

bridge. “Our health and

wellness itineraries also

include a yoga or another

wellness-related activity at

different ports of call. We

also offer a Culinary Arts

Kitchen experience on the

Seven Seas Explorer, which

involves a two-hour cooking

experience with our chef,”

said Janine Pretorius,

director of Encore Cruises,

which represents Regent

Seven Seas in SA.

Party cruises have been

popular for a few years in

the SA market, and this

niche is growing, says MSC

Cruises’ Ross Volk. “They

appeal to many different

types of travellers and it is

for this reason that MSC

Cruises offers approximately

four to six themed cruises

every South African season,

such as OhShip! with

Fresh and Euphonik; Super

Sokkie; the Matric Cruise

and Bhangra Boat.” He says

MSC Cruises also caters for

guests who enjoy a great

party, with themed events

every night, such as the

Sailaway Party, Tropical Party

and a Snow Party.

Another niche area of

cruising that is seeing

increased interest is smallgroup cruises. Inge Dobihal

of Austria Connection says

there’s been a marked

increase in small groups

(mostly extended families

and friends) for small ship

island-hopping cruises in

Croatia.

Venice Barris,

reservations supervisor

for Travel Vision, agrees

that party cruises are a

hit in the South African

market among young and

older travellers, often used

for celebrating milestone

events and birthdays.

Some of the best sellers,

says Venice, are themed

cruises such as DJ, radio

personalities; singing

cruises; Miami gay cruises;

and Disney cruises.

Polar cruises are the next cool thing

“EXOTIC cruises are certainly

on the cruising radar for

consumers,” says Cruises

International’s Thaybz Khan.

‘Exotic’ is usually associated

with hot, densely vegetated

areas, but in the case of

cruising trends it’s quite the

opposite. Many passengers

are choosing to visit ice

destinations such as the

poles and Alaska. “These

destinations form part of

almost everyone’s bucket

list and become the next

choice once cruising clients

have experienced the Med,

Caribbean or Asia,” says

Thaybz.

Stewart Venn of Triton

Cape Sea Travel says there’s

been a significant increase in

guests booking to travel to the

Arctic regions, from northern

Norway to Greenland and the

Canadian Arctic. “This is partly

as a result of the growth in

popularity of Northern Lights

cruises and partly the growing

number of experienced cruise

guests who are looking for new

destinations and experiences.

The same applies to Alaska.

There has been a growth in

experienced travellers looking

for an experience away from

the market-leading European

cruise itineraries.”

This year especially, says

Jane Davidson, director of

Development Promotions, has

seen a huge increase in polar

enquiries. She believes this

is due to people ticking off

bucket-list destinations and

cruisers looking for something

different. Another reason for

the sudden spike in interest,

she says, is because the

destinations appear to be

changing rapidly because of

global warming.

Cunard has just started

sailing to Alaska and the sales

have been very promising, says

Shaun McCarthy of Whitestar

Cruise & Travel.

Why a cruise?

Thaybz says these frigid

destinations can be daunting

due to the climate, transport,

and safety concerns. “The

hassle-free experience and

inclusive nature of a cruise

takes care of all those

concerns, giving guests time

to sit back and enjoy the

destination.” Cruising allows

them to see more than one

place in these destinations,

and move from one town to

the next without any hassle,

expense or wasted time.

“Cruise lines also offer unique

destination experiences and

shore excursions, so clients

enjoy the destination in a way

that may not be possible if they

were on land,” says Thaybz.

Stewart believes a cruise is

the best way to see the poles,

because cruise lines have

become creative at developing

new and exciting itineraries,

often to remote areas with

minimal infrastructure. “Very

often the destinations visited

are accessible only by sea or

they lack infrastructure, making

cruise ships the most viable

way of visiting destinations

such as Alaska.”

Shaun says discerning

travellers are looking to visit

the destinations that are now

available to cruise passengers.

“The icy destinations have

become more accessible and

more reasonable.” 

How to sell cruises with confidence

DO YOU have enough

information about the cruise

products on the market?

Are you confident selling all

types of cruises? What about

upselling? What’s in it for you?

The experts share some tips

and insights.

Jane Davidson of

Development Promotions says

there is not enough knowledge

in the industry about cruising,

in particular river cruising.

“There is so much out there,

and for a retail agent to keep

up with everything is difficult,

especially as there are a lot of

newcomers to the industry.”

She suggests that agents use

specialist cruise companies

that can assist with product

knowledge, training and

webinars.

Encore Cruises’ Janine

Pretorius says not all cruises

have the same inclusions.

“Clients booking a Regent

Seven Seas cruise don’t need

to put their hands in their

pockets at all once on board,

unless it’s for items of a

personal nature, for example

spa or boutique purchases.”

She says there are no hidden

costs, with the cruise price

including all meals, on-board

entertainment, drinks

(including selected premium

spirits), choice of shore

excursions, WiFi, gratuities and

port taxes. “It is important for

agents to be able to highlight

the value that clients receive

by paying for everything

upfront,” Janine says.

“Personal experience is the

best way to confidently sell

cruises,” says Inge Dobihal

of Austria Connection, but

acknowledges that it is not

possible for all consultants.

She says some agents feel

uneasy selling river cruising,

which they shouldn’t, says

Inge. “It is very simple

once one knows the basic

differences.”

Inge offers agents some tips:

“Take a bit of time to study

the brochures. Our brochure

explains in detail the different

cabin categories and where

these are located, lists what

is included and excluded in

the cruise price, it shows the

routing and lists the prices.

We gladly talk to agents and

explain everything so that

the agent can confidently sell

the product.” Inge adds that

attending special workshops is

also helpful.

River cruising is becoming

more popular and agents

are more comfortable selling

it, says Lucinda Tyler of

Perfect Destinations, which

represents the Globus Family

of Brands. “The number of

river cruising companies

represented in South Africa

has grown substantially, and

it is important that agents are

educated on the differences

between the various options.”

Her top tip? Agents should

profile their clients correctly

and ensure they fit the right

client to the right product.

“We have a travel agent guide

specifically to assist agents

with selling our product. It

highlights all the important

information about Avalon

Cruises (river cruises) that

they need, at a glance.”

If agents feel they don’t

have enough knowledge on

river cruises, Thaybz Khan of

Cruises International says:

“Reach out to us! Our team

has a full complement of

cruise experts who will be

able to assist with sales

techniques, such as qualifying

a river cruise client, training,

product information and

anything that a travel partner

may need on river and ocean

cruising.”

How to upsell

“The incentive for upselling

is the commission,” says

Shaun McCarthy of Whitestar

Cruise & Travel. He says

there is good commission to

be earned selling cruising,

particularly the higher grade

cabins. But, he says agents

need to sell the passenger

what they want. “We have

seen too many times that

agents try to sell cruises

on price and not what the

passenger actually wants.”

According to Thaybz,

upselling on a cruise may

be done in various ways.

“It is not always about the

higher category or the most

expensive cruise line. For

example, add on auxiliary

products such as drinks

packages, shore excursions

or transfers, making it a fully

inclusive experience for the

client.” She adds that it’s

most important to qualify the

client and choose the cruise

line that best suits their

lifestyle. “Once you have that,

you can upsell within that

cruise line’s offering.”

Stewart Venn of Triton Cape

Sea Travel, advises agents

to look out for bargains in

the balcony and mini-suite

grades. “Very often the cost

of upgrading can be small

relative to the cost of the

original accommodation

chosen, while the upgraded

accommodation is significantly

better in facilities or size.”

Jane adds that the more

value you can add to your

client’s trip and the more they

can pre-pay, the happier they

will be and they will come

back to you.

Queen Elizabeth heads to Alaska

CUNARD’S Queen Elizabeth

will undertake its first-ever

Alaskan season this year,

the first time Cunard has

crossed Alaskan waters in

more than 20 years.

It offers incredible

itineraries, six ports and

scenic cruising that allows

guests to view the Hubbard

Glacier and the fjords and

glaciers of either Tracy Arm

or Endicott Arm. The Queen

Elizabeth will operate a short

programme of four Alaska

roundtrip voyages from

Vancouver in May and June.

Each voyage will be ten days

long, and either before or

after the cruise passengers

can enjoy a tour on the

Rocky Mountaineer railroad.

Something else to

look forward to is Queen

Elizabeth’s return to SA in

November for the start of its

next world voyage.

Agents only

PERFECT Destinations,

which represents

the Globus Family of

Brands, offers Agents

Suite Rewards, which

give very attractive

and heavily discounted

rates to travel agents

to allow them to

experience the product

personally, with a

partner.

These include the

Mekong Discovery from

R14 390; Active

Discovery on the Rhine

from R14 520;

Reflections on the

Seine from R14 560;

and Colourful India

and the Ganges from

R14 852. All prices

quoted are per person

sharing.

Perfect Destinations

also runs incentive

competitions where

agents stand to win a

cruise for themselves

and a partner. The

company will launch

a new incentive in

March.

Only the best for SA cruise-goers

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line

(NCL) has reported doubledigit growth in the South

African market for the last

few years, and has identified

this as a market with strong

potential for further growth.

Eamonn Ferrin, vp and

md of NCL, and Nick

Wilkinson, regional vp

business development

(both for UK, Ireland, Middle

East and Africa markets),

are both adamant that,

despite the weak rand,

the SA market is not

composed of ‘entry-level’

cost-saver shoppers. Nick

says most South Africans

are not booking ‘second

person pays half price’

packages or even inside

cabin packages, preferring

to book value-for-money

packages and comfortable

cruise accommodation.

“Our top-selling cabins from

the SA market are outside

balconies,” Nick says.

Eamonn adds that while

agents tend to advertise

the entry-level packages,

they actually upsell their

clients to better value-formoney options such as the

‘third and fourth children

pay taxes only’ promotion

or the ‘free at sea’ option,

including a number of valueadds such as shore credits,

WiFi and speciality dining

options.

He says the all-inclusive

drinks package is the most

popular value option for

South African travellers.

“This is not just a standard

drinks package. We include

unlimited drinks for all

beverages under the US$15

(R210) mark, including most

premium spirits.”

Nick wants to encourage

agents to simply advertise

the popular packages and

cabins rather than the

entry-level, shoulder-season

and discounted packages.

He says consultants often

complain about the time it

takes to upsell a client, but

it’s clear that the bettervalue option was what the

client had sought from the

start.

Top-selling cruise

destinations for NCL in

South Africa are the

Mediterranean, Scandinavia

and the Baltic. Nick says

while the Baltic still attracts

older, more discerning

couples, Mediterranean

cruises are particularly

popular with younger

South African families. He

says it is interesting how

the average age varies

depending on the cruise.

NCL is also tapping in

to Asian cruises and the

company is well aware of

the South African love affair

with this part of the world.

Nick says they have already

seen great forward bookings

from South Africans for

departures on an additional

ship, Norwegian Jade, on

seven-night itineraries from

Singapore.

The Norwegian Spirit will

also be travelling between

Cape Town and Singapore

on a 24-day itinerary in

March 2020, with a number

of local and Indian Ocean

island stops. The ship will

be completely revamped for

this itinerary.

NCL has put plans in place

to grow its passenger bed

nights by 50% by 2027, with

the introduction of more

than seven new ships to its

fleet.

Halloween on the high seas

TRAVEL Vision is offering a

‘frightfully fun’ Halloween

getaway to Cozumel, Grand

Cayman and Castaway Cay.

 From R24 606pps, the

seven-night Disney Fantasy

Halloween on the High Seas

cruise includes Disney’s

private Bahamian island

and two other Caribbean

ports of call. During the

spooky days at sea, guests

enjoy the ghost ship’s

eerie atmosphere and

many treats, tricks and

spellbinding surprises.

The cruise departs on

September 14 and 28,

and October 12, and

includes seven nights’

accommodation in a deluxe

inside stateroom; breakfast;

lunch and dinner daily;

on-board entertainment;

Broadway-style stage shows;

themed deck parties; adult

exclusive nightclubs and

lounges; Disney character

experiences; taxes; fees and

port expenses; and return

airport/port transfers on the

Disney Magic Express.

Free at sea

WHEN booking your

clients on Norwegian

Cruise Line, they can

select from a range of

free extras, depending on

their suite. Studio and

Inside include one free

offer; Oceanview, Balcony

and Mini-suites get three

free offers, while The

Haven and Suites can

choose five.

The options are:

Unlimited beverage

package

Speciality dining

package

Shore excursion credit

WiFi package

Friends and family sail

at a reduced rate.

Norwegian also has a

‘Buy one, get one half

price’ offer. Book a

cruise in an Oceanview

or higher category

stateroom and the

second guest in the

stateroom will pay just

50% of the cruise fare.

Special rates for agents

AGENTS can enjoy the

award-winning Crystal

Cruise experience

with discounted travel

agent and partner fares

available through Cruises

International. Take

advantage of a range of

seven- to 16-day itineraries

aboard Crystal Symphony

and Crystal Esprit with

special fares starting from

US$2 100 (R29 800)

per person sharing. The

travel agent partner fares

reduced rate programme is

only available on selected

voyages and is for the

cruise only. All fares are

based on double occupancy

and do not include taxes,

fees and port charges,

which vary by departure.

Further T&Cs apply.