informeryour update from the cruise experts

Welcome, ACE members, to the March Issue of the ACE Informer which is jam packed full of news and updates from the world of ACE!

Last month saw ACE take to the road to hold events in Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle, Preston, Peterborough and Norwich. Our new evening events, Cruise Showcases were hosted in Newcastle and Norwich, we also got the chance to see many of our travel agent members at our working lunches around the UK. Many thanks to everyone who joined us last month, your feedback and recommendations are invaluable.

We also held our first Think Differently Seminar in Southampton, with the focus on how to use Digital Media to grow your cruise business. With an extremely interesting line up on some highly relevant topics, feedback from the event has been positive and we look forward to our future sessions.

Enjoy this issue and remember to pencil in a date to come and see us at one of our events soon,

AdeleEditor

March 2012 | Association of Cruise Experts

In this issue:

ACE Cruise Showcases

Thinking Differently Seminars

ACE Travel Partner Focus:Kirker Holidays

On the ACE Horizon

Five things I learnt this week

The Final Word

Madas a

March Hare Welcome ACE Members

The new cruise showcase events offered travel agents an opportunity to network and boost their knowledge in one enjoyable evening.10 of our cruise line and travel partners, ‘speed dated’ and dined with around 90 travel agents in Newcastle and Norwich. These events were a great way for agents to hear from a selection of suppliers and learn about some of the diverse products available.

During these events a short questionnaire was completed by our travel agent attendees with 100% enjoying the event and 99% of them marking it as very good or excellent. Agents were also asked how they found the mix of suppliers present and 92% rated this as very good or excellent. We also wanted to know if this sort of evening would help assist the attendees in future cruise sales, 90% of our travel agents thought that the information received would do just that.

Eventually we aim to reach as many corners of the UK as possible and with that in mind we have organised 6 more Showcase events as listed.

2012 has also seen the introduction of the ACE Think Differently Seminars these new and interactive workshops have been designed with travel agents in mind. Tuesday 6 March saw our very first seminar encouraging agents to use social media in their business and teaching them everything they need to know. The day itself was a huge success; a lot of information was shared in particular the following Top 3 tips to ensure that we get the very best out of our social media activity.

1. Travel and photography go hand in hand - Encourage “User Generated Content” – get customers to post their travel photos from their trips, “Like” their photos, let the regular contributors know that you value their offerings. Promote your brand advocates!

2. Don’t be afraid of reviews - A review of a cruise line (be it good or bad) is not a review of your agency/business. Users are far more likely to trust a site that shares personal recommendations of both guests and

your fellow colleagues. This reduces the anxiety of potential guests and should increase the likelihood of securing a booking.

3. Keep your Digital Marketing up to date – Treat your website as if it were a shop front window. Maintain an active presence and keep all information relevant and up to date. If you are looking to grow your cruise sales in 2012 then the ACE Marketing Masterclass is a must attend event. As a delegate you will receive a whole host of marketing ideas which will assist you to find new customers and keep hold of your existing ones.

The seminar will take place on April 18, 2012 9.00am to 1.00pm Centre Point, London. The morning will be a fun, engaging and interactive plus you’ll leave with actions you are able to implement in your business. Please email alex@psa-ace.org to register.

CRUISESHOW CASESAll 6.30pm - 9.00pmJune Exeter - 26 June 2012 Belfast - 28 June 2012October Liverpool - 23 October 2012Bristol - 24 October 2012December Chelmsford - 4 December 2012Brighton - 6 December 2012

The venues for these Showcases are still to be confirmed, but each will be held in a central location easily accessible by road and public transport. Please email adele@psa-ace.org to register for a place.

Think Differently Seminars - Southampton, 6 March

Pre & Post Cruise Holidays For Discerning Travellers

Kirker has more than 20 years of experience creating city breaks to Europe, North Africa and destinations throughout the Mediterranean and the Baltic. When you think about the fact the average cruise age is 54.2 yrs and that many of your clients are considerably older than that, what would be better than ensuring that your discerning travellers have a couple of days pre or post cruise to relax and enjoy a well planned stay in a city with restaurants recommended and reserved and pre-booked tickets for the theatre, opera, museums or art galleries. How much more reassured would they be, knowing that their pre or post cruise experience matches the cruise experience itself?

Selling a pre or post extension with Kirker offers a unique tailor-made itinerary - a carefully selected portfolio ranging from characterful boutique properties to stylish 5* deluxe and private transfers with English speaking drivers are included between the airport, hotel and port.

Call our expert sales team for an instant quotation 020 7593 2288

Kirker Added ValueA number of key extras at no additional cost: Venice - Doge’s Palace tickets; Bilbao - Guggenheim Museum tickets; Rome - Vatican or Borghese Gallery tickets; Monaco - complimentary helicopter transfers and museum entrance. Hotel offers 3 for the price 2 nights etc.

Unique Concierge ServiceKirker’s Concierge will pre book tickets, private guided tours, recommend and reserve restaurants to ensure that your clients can sit back and relax and make the most of their time ashore.

Kirker Added ValueFocus on our ACE Travel Partners

Kirker Holidays

BOOK ONLINE NOWwww.cruiseexperts.org

On the ACE

HORIZONDATE FOR THE DIARY

15 - 23rd September 2012

•Cruisers will still cruise - I was going to try not to mention recent events onboard Costa Concordia but feel it is necessary to do so. Of the many regular cruise passengers and new to cruise passengers I have spoken to I have only had one gentleman say he would never cruise but then again he did say he had never been abroad.

•New passenger muster policy now in force - It was great to hear that muster drills must now be held before leaving port under SOLAS regulations. This is something that many lines already did but glad to know it is now compulsory.

•Lorraine Arzt – still Princess Cruises most frequent traveller - Whilst working onboard Princess Cruises in the 1990’s I had the pleasure of meeting this delightful lady who is now 85 years old and has spent an amazing 5400 plus days at sea. She says it’s cheaper than a nursing home!!

Five things I learnt this monthBy Julie McIntyre, Cruise Connections

•John Healds blog is really funny - I have just discovered the delightfully hilarious blog written by John Heald – Carnivals Senior Cruise Director. It’s an absolutely hilarious and sometimes emotional view of working on a cruise ship. John does a wonderful job as a Brand Ambassador for Carnival and with almost 13 million views on his website, johnhealdsblog.com, he must be doing something right.

•And finally ….I learnt that some strange items get left behind in cabins - I was chatting to a few friends last week who are still at sea, one is a Hotel Manager and one is a Cruise Director, about the most unusual items left behind by passengers in their cabins. I am still wondering at what stage the passenger in question realised his false teeth were missing!!!!

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Come and be social!Do you remember this?

from Andy Harmer

ACE Director…

March 2012 | Association of Cruise Experts

Our first Think Differently Seminar is taking place in March – part of a series of new events from ACE this year – where we hope to shed some light on the mysterious world of digital marketing and social media. I am of a generation that has not grown up surrounded by iPads and Blackberry’s and Twitter; but that hasn’t stopped me embracing them now. Our generation has had to learn pretty quickly, we are often self-taught, and we are very much reliant on expert advice and colleagues to point us in the right direction.

So, we are pleased to adopt Facebook, Twitter and blogs (to name but a few) – but it does not mean that we see social media as the only solution to life’s problems, nor the single answer to all business predicaments.

The Cruise Showcases and the Working Lunches that ACE have recently been holding are where we have seen real social networking in action: face to face meetings, training and feedback. Yes social media is a great and an important part of keeping informed and networking, and we would be lying if we told you that we wouldn’t really love it if you ‘liked’ the ACE Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ACEcruiseexperts . But we must be aware that having a chat over a coffee is just as valuable, which is why this year’s ACE Cruise Convention is focussing not just on incredible conference content, but also on maximising your time to network, to make new contacts and to renew existing ones.

We hope to see you there... as well as on Facebook!

AndyACE Director