January 2010
Multi-Generational Cruising
by Cindy Bertram
How is multi-generational cruising best defined, what does it involve, and what are the best ways to target this area to expand your cruise business?
What It Is and What It Involves
Diversity in age ranges - from matures, traditionalists, and baby boomers to Gen Y, Gen X, and Millennials - as well as sharing a common interest with different generations traveling together will be involved. Expanded family travel can play a part, and the latest statistics generated by CLIA show this is a growing trend.
The Whys Behind Multi-Generational Cruising
After the September 11 tragedies, "cocooning" evolved – people withdrew and spent more time at home with their families and friends, turning inward for comfort. We've moved beyond "cocooning." Now, people travel together for a multitude of reasons – escapism, reconnecting, family experiences, and spending quality time together, as well as celebrations and emotional healing. And these can involve different generations.
Trends and Finding the Fits
Families live farther apart and, with tight schedules and the difficulty of setting aside quality time, there is a growing mindset of "we deserve to travel." The family vacation concept has changed and expanded into something new – not just an immediate family and one household, but several. Even the term "family" has a broader meaning – it can still mean a household, but also a group of people with a common ancestry, fellowship, and people with common interests. With this, there are more potential opportunities to find people who want to travel with other family members, from husband and wife and their children with grandparents, aunts and uncles.
Where to Find Multi-Generational Groups
Go through your current database of clients to see where there could be potential fits – clients celebrating anniversaries or other social events. Also, see where there could be a core group, finding special interests and bonds. One group I ran across while traveling included four sets of parents and their children. Their children attended a private high school and they were all sailing out on a cruise over a school break. The parents were actively involved in this school, and as a result, got to be good friends and then started to travel once a year with their children; it had become a tradition.
Another avenue beyond schools (secondary and elementary) might be alumni associations of your local universities. Not every graduate takes trips offered through that university's alumni association, because these trips have some limitations, reaching out to just certain segments of alumni. Rethink how cruise lines are designing their ships today, and then find the key components and specialties – entertainment options built in onboard rival anything shore side, themed cruises, experiences and interactive activities on ships (not just at ports). Then, match these up with a starter group of a few people, couples, or parents with their children, both young and old. "Dangle the carrot," so to speak, because today's ships bring landside experiences to sea.
What Multi-Generational Cruising Requires
Multi-generational cruising does involve much of what you'll run into when booking a group, but with some even higher levels of personal touches. You need to understand and know the differences and needs of these guests according to their age groups. Find the right matches – activities for each generation traveling together, dining and itinerary fits, as well as the right time of year to travel. By knowing and addressing these, you can customize and enhance their overall cruising experiences. Ultimately, you are creating special memories for your clients as well as creating wonderful experiences.
Travel has become more of a "we deserve to travel together" experience. What was there yesterday could be gone today, and people today savor experiences with the family and extended family members. By branching into multi-generational travel, you can help turn these clients' dreams into reality and create those memories of a lifetime.
Cindy Bertram, MCC, writes extensively about the cruise industry for various travel trade publications, including an ongoing column for Leisure Group Travel . She has more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry, from working in frontline sales and marketing development at a full-service travel agency to conducting training workshops at travel and cruise conferences. She may be reached at cindybertram@hotmail.com.
(Credits: Cindy Bertram; Celebrity Cruises; Royal Caribbean)
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