Selling Cruises: Selling Holiday Cruises
by John Hawks

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When it comes to booking holiday cruises, you may be behind schedule already. Cruises become very popular travel options from Thanksgiving week through Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Day because schools are on break and many families today enjoy hitting the road before a busy new year gets underway.

Keep these tips from your fellow OSSN agents in mind as you promote holiday cruises to your clients:

* The best cabins may be gone. Staterooms with verandahs and balconies get snapped up quickly for the holidays, and the situation may be worse with owner’s suites and other top-of-the-line suites. (Sometimes, the same travelers book them immediately after a cruise for the same time next year!)

* Check the available itineraries carefully to see where the holidays fall. Ships that run the same routes year after year typically spend major holidays like Christmas in port – but, your clients may find nothing open by the beaches and the churches! On the other hand, vessels that vary their holiday itineraries each year seem to favor at-sea days for the specific holidays like Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Make sure you know where your clients want to spend the exact holiday(s) dates – in port or at sea.

* The year-end holidays are high season for kids. If your clients will be traveling with their own offspring, great. But, if they’re not eager to encounter children at every turn on the ship, you might consider upscale lines (or lines with more calls in exotic ports) where the kid-to-adult ratios won’t be as high.

* Plan ahead for onboard babysitting. Pick lines that offer in-cabin care or group babysitting if your clients will be cruising over the holidays with their kids – and, if the line allows, book the sitters ahead of time.

* Recommend cabins with balconies for family cruisers. That way, the adults can have a quick breather on the verandah, while the kids are settling down for the night inside.

* Ask about holiday dress codes. Many cruisers dress up more often during holiday cruises, not just for the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners but also for midnight services.

* Be creative with shore excursions during holiday cruises. You may find some lines that offer fewer shore excursion options on these sailings, so think about organizing your own excursions for clients or using private tour operators.

* Start earlier in 2008 to sell the year-end holiday sailings. Many savvy agents actually pitch holiday cruises during the prior season, while spirits are still high (and before the January credit card bills start arriving!).

Good luck with your holiday cruise sales!

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