Selling Cruises: Selling Family Cruises
by John Hawks

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"My primary selling season is the February and April school vacation breaks," notes Linda Drake, MCC, who runs Cruise Bargains International in Goffstown, N.H. “I book group space on the ships that I know are going to be the top sellers for the upcoming year. Also, I contact past family cruisers to tell them about the sailings for the new year.”

Family Cruise Selling Tips

1. Plan early! Family-friendly cruises tend to sell out quickly. If you want to tap into this niche -- especially during the traditional school vacation seasons! -- you must keep a close watch on available inventory on your favorite ships.

2. Promote the value-added benefits of cruising as a vacation for families. For example, your clients will appreciate how paying a base cruise fare will cover most (but not all, of course!) of their travel expenses. Plus, today’s cruise ships offer so much room, and so many onboard options, that families can have fun together and fun apart on the same trip!

3. Think about other sales factors besides the ships themselves. Would your family clients prefer ships that dock in port, instead of using tenders that can be tough on cruisers with strollers? Are the ports of call “age appropriate” for your clients’ kids? Will the itinerary include a private island stop (a big hit with many families)? What about homeport options near your hometown that will allow your family clients to drive instead of fly, saving lots of money in the process?

4. Consider bookings beyond the usual two-adjoining-cabins route. Many newer ships today offer “family suites” that you might offer. (Do the math, though, because sometimes it’s cheaper to pay higher first- and second-person fares in adjoining cabins than the third- and fourth-person rates in family suites.) Outside cabins with verandahs will give parents of younger kids the chance to slip outside during naptimes -- but, you must insure that the verandah railing is spaced to keep children from slipping through and that the balcony door lock works!

5. Check the fine print with onboard kids programs. Your parents may wish to know the ratio of kids to counselors, for example, or the counselors’ training and qualifications. Or, they may wonder how much time will be devoted simply to watching TV or playing video games instead of more constructive activities.

6. Review the dining arrangements. Reserve early dining slots for your family cruisers, or pick a ship with no formal dining times or attire.

7. Double-check the rules for infants. If your clients plan to take an infant on the cruise, check the company’s minimum age for sailing. (It ranges from three months on Disney to six years on Windjammer!) Also, ask about the availability of things such as diapers and strollers on the ship. Other companies don’t allow children who aren’t potty trained in their ships’ playrooms.

8. Find out the rules and fees for onboard babysitting services. Some lines such as Carnival and Princess do not allow in-cabin babysitting (opting instead to offer sitting services in their kids centers). On other ships, the in-cabin sitters can be expensive (more than $12 an hour, in some cases!), and they’re usually booked solid quickly.

Family-Friendly Cruise Lines

Which cruise lines are your best bets for families sailing together?

Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean -- both of which happen to be OSSN supplier members! -- offer the widest range of kid-friendly ships on the market.

Carnival’s Conquest-class vessels (“Carnival Conquest,” “Carnival Glory,” “Carnival Liberty,” and “Carnival Valor”) feature some of the largest cabins available today. Standard cabins run 185-190 square feet, a comfortable space for up to five people (the two lower beds made into a king, plus the two upper beds folding out from the wall, and a rollaway). If you need extra space, try Carnival’s Family Staterooms that add another 40 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows. If your clients have younger kids, consider an outside cabin with a verandah so the parents can “escape” outside when the children go to sleep.

Carnival offers programs for four age ranges: Toddlers (ages 2-5), Juniors (ages 6-8), Intermediates (ages 9-11), and Teens (ages 12-17). Check www.Carnival.com and www.BookCCL.com for more details.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager-class ships (“Adventure of the Seas,” “Explorer of the Seas,” “Freedom of the Seas,” “Mariner of the Seas,” “Navigator of the Seas,” and “Voyager of the Seas,” as well as the forthcoming “Liberty of the Seas”) offer the same wide range of family staterooms. “Freedom of the Seas” actually has six different categories, from 330 square feet in its inside family cabins to 600 square feet in a Royal Family Suite. Even the smaller family staterooms have sleeper sofas and a sleeping alcove separated by a curtain. These ships are also popular with families based on the many activities appealing especially to older children, from the ice skating rink and miniature golf to the rock climbing wall. (And, don’t forget the Johnny Rockets eateries on these ships!)

Royal Caribbean offers programs for five age ranges: Aquanuts (ages 3-5), Explorers (ages 6-8), Voyagers (ages 9-11), Navigators (ages 12-14), and teens ages 15-17 who are too cool to have a group name. The ships also have new activities for kids under 3, in partnership with Crayola.

Of course, there’s Disney Cruise Line, with 304-square-foot Deluxe Family Staterooms with Verandahs (sleeping four or five people) and several different suite options. You’ll find the expected Disney entertainment on board, including lots of opportunities for kids to mingle with beloved characters. Disney runs onboard programs for kids ages 3-12, plus a nursery for children up to 3 (with a pricey per-hour fee!) and a teens club for older kids.

Remind your clients that they don’t have to sacrifice their luxury cruise dreams if they’re taking children along. You may be surprised to learn that Crystal Cruises -- an OSSN supplier member! -- offers onboard kids programs, making its ships “Crystal Serenity” and “Crystal Symphony” excellent choices for multi-generational families sailing together. Crystal divides its programs into Fantasia (ages 3-7) and Waves (ages 8-17).

Also, don’t forget MSC Cruises, another OSSN supplier member that’s making a huge effort to tap into the family cruises market. They offer many Caribbean sailings, for example, with kids programs on board.

If you have other questions about selling family cruises, try OSSN’s members-only bulletin board!

(Our “Selling Cruises” topic for March 2007 is “Weddings at Sea.” If you sell lots of wedding cruises, and you’d like to share ideas for this story, please send us an email!)

(Photo credits: MSC Cruises; AFS Stock)