Welcome to February!Last month we proudly claimed that 2015 would be the ‘Year of Cruise’ – a sentiment that I think will grow ever stronger as the year develops.

And what an incredible start to the year with Britannia in March, Anthem of the Seas in April and the Selling Cruise Conference in May!

Spring also sees a number of launches on Europe’s rivers too, and the very first River Cruise Weekend which is a chance for the whole industry to take to social media, organise events or publicise the breadth and quality of river cruise holidays to those who have simply so far not even thought of such an option.

We really do have the chance to make it a ‘Year of Cruise’ – and we hope we can count on you to help us get there!

Have a great February!

Andy HarmerDirector

February 2015 | CLIA UK & Ireland Informer www.cruiseexperts.org

River Cruise Weekend 201526 - 30 March 2015

Webinar Season February 2015Upcoming Webinars from CLIA members

New For You Online This Month Destination Guides & Factsheets...

www.cruiseexperts.org

Let’s make 2015 the Year of Cruise

Pete’s TrainingSelling Cruise Destinations

New Ship AnnouncementsCarnival Vista and Norwegian Escape

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Four ‘New for You’ Online this month

CLIA UK & Ireland Informer

New Factsheets Created Just for You!We are great believers that information should not only be completely easy to find, but also easy to read. At the end of last year we launched a limited number of Fact-Sheets in the Members Area and Cruise Toolbox.

We have now added more Fact-Sheets so that we now offer these unique quick information sheets on:• Ex-UK cruises• Ocean cruise new-builds• River cruise new-builds• Themed Cruises• Fjord Cruising & Baltic Cruising - NEW!• Single Travellers & Cabins - NEW!

Keep Informed Cruiseexperts.org is also the place for the latest news, our unique Brochure Bank, our searchable Meet the Fleet, Blogs, Guest Columns, Sales Guides, Webinar Library, Resource Centre with all the latest research and news, and much more...

Destination GuidesOur Cruising Destination of the Month in February is Spain & Portugal.Each month we publish a brand new destination or region of the month so that by the end of the year we will have built up an incredible portfolio of destination maps and information, port guides, video and photography – plus every month we add a downloadable Destination Guide that you can download and save to your desk-top or print.

Last month we headed to the French Riviera and Italy – and now we continue to add ports and key information on Spain and Portugal.Our destination Guides are in the Members Area in the Cruise Toolbox.

WIN! In our Cruise Line CompetitionsAt cruiseexperts.org you will find details of two great competitions from CLIA member cruise lines. To celebrate 50 years Princess Cruises are giving away a 14 night Mediterranean cruise, and Scenic Tours and Emerald Waterways are offering places on a mega-Fam trip this spring – full details of both competitions are available online.

And there is a whole section of Promotions online too – with offers for CLIA members from the following cruise lines:Hurtigruten, European Waterways, Celebrity Cruises, Avalon Waterways, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Tauck, A-ROSA and more...Head to the “Events, Ship Visits and Promotions” page at www.cruiseexperts.org

Join us online at www.cruiseexperts.org

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Webinar Season February 2015

CLIA UK & Ireland Informer

February marks the start of our 2015 live Webinar Season featuring a number of fantastic opportunities to hear from experts on the very latest product and destination news. Register your place via cruiseexperts.org and join live in the webinar with your chance to ask questions and be involved.Here is what is coming up this month...

Wednesday 11th February - 10.30amPRINCESS CRUISESCelebrating their 50th Anniversary, hear full details on the newly announced Golden Bonus offers, available on over 100 European cruises, and offering either additional on board spending money or reduced-price flights. Also covered within the webinar will be details of the Ship Visit programme available for 2015, and a few exciting details for 2016...

Wednesday 18th February - 9.30amREGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES

FOCUS ON SEVEN SEAS EXPLORERAt 56,000 gross-registered tons and carrying only 750 guests, Seven Seas Explorer will boast the highest space ratios and one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry. Seven Seas Explorer will join the rest of the award-winning Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet in the summer of 2016.

Wednesday 25th February - 9.30amHURTIGRUTENFrom the magnificent Norwegian fjords to the ice-filled bays of Antarctica, Hurtigruten is renowned for its comprehensive and adventurous voyages to some of the most remotely beautiful and dramatic coastlines on the planet. Their fleet of 12 intimate and comfortable ships will take you beyond the realms of conventional cruises by offering voyages that encounter environments, wildlife and people at the very ends of the earth.

Sign up for all webinars online at www.cruiseexperts.org

www.cruiseexperts.orgwww.cruiseexperts.orgCLIA UK & Ireland Informer

The first CLIA River Cruise Weekend goes ‘social’ in MarchFollowing the success of the CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Week, the association is announcing details of its first ever CLIA UK & Ireland River Cruise Weekend taking place in March and aimed at raising the profile of river cruise holidays within the travel trade and to the consumer.

Via social media, the event will focus on promoting the diversity of destinations available on a river cruise holiday together with the wonderful experiences and service provided by the association’s 18 river members.

More British passengers than ever before are taking a holiday on Europe’s waterways, with the most recent figures (2013) showing a rise of 22 per cent in the number of passengers choosing a river cruise taking the total number to almost 110,000 passengers. The growth on Europe’s rivers has been underpinned by a significant increase in the number of new cruise ships with more than 25 being launched this year on the world’s waterways.

CLIA UK & Ireland director, Andy Harmer, said: ‘More travel agents than ever are now selling river cruises but we want to grow this interest still further. Together with our 17 river members, we will highlight the very best of river cruising – whether that’s in Europe, America, Africa or Asia, there are just so many fantastic places to visit.”

He continued: ‘We will ask travel agents and guests to Tweet #lovecruise with a wonderful photo of a river cruise destination or experience explaining why they love river cruising. We will be collecting river cruise stories, blogs and videos so that we can maximise exposure across all social media platforms. We are also placing additional river specific training modules on our website to help agents make the most of the River Cruise Weekend which runs from 26 – 30 March. This segment of cruising is growing at a tremendous pace and we want to ensure agents are best placed to take advantage of the opportunities this brings.”Further information on the 2015 CLIA UK & Ireland River Cruise Weekend can be found by visiting www.cruiseexperts.org

GUIDED TOURS & RIVER CRUISES

R I V E R C R U I S E S

European River cruising

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Carnival Vista and Norwegian Escape Announcements

CLIA UK & Ireland Informer

This spring may be all focussed on Britannia and Anthem of the Seas; but the industry is already looking ahead to Norwegian Escape being launched in October, and to Carnival Vista coming in 2016. At two events held in January both cruise lines announced details of the new ships....

Carnival Cruise Line announced the details of its most innovative ship ever, Carnival Vista, debuting in spring 2016. Designed to connect guests to the ocean with sweeping views and plenty to do both outdoors and in, Carnival Vista will take cruising to new heights and introduce an exciting array of groundbreaking new features...

Including:• SkyRide, a breakthrough suspended open-air cycling experience• The world’s first IMAX® Theatre on a ship• An expanded water park featuring the colourful Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first raft-riding water tube slide• Seafood Shack, a delectable New England-inspired eatery• RedFrog Pub, the line’s first onboard brewery, and other enhanced dining, bar and entertainment options; as well as new scenic and family-friendly accommodation types.

The ship’s inaugural Mediterranean itineraries will mark the line’s return to Europe.

www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/ carnival-vista

Norwegian Escape, will include several new culinary experiences, along with two Tony Award-winning musicals, and a unique Supper Club, when she begins sailing from her homeport of Miami in November 2015.

Foodies will enjoy Norwegian Escape’s ultimate culinary experiences, which will be helmed by James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garc-es and Miami restaurateurs Jose Mendin, Andreas Schreiner and Sergio Navarro of The Pubbelly Restaurant Group; in addition to new beverage concepts The District Brewhouse, featuring craft beers from Wynwood Brewing Company, and The Cellars, A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar.

Guests will be dazzled by three new shows, including Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals After Midnight and Million Dollar Quartet, along with a new supper club concept exclusive to Nor-wegian Escape, For The Record presents Dear John Hughes, featuring classic soundtracks from favourite motion pictures in a one-of-a kind 360° post-modern cabaret and dinner experience.

www.escape.ncl.com

www.cruiseexperts.orgCLIA Training Page

Selling Cruise Destinations By Peter Kollar, CLIA Australasia

The recent launch of our new Destination Guides in the Cruise Toolbox at cruiseexperts.org reminds us of the importance we should attach to cruise itineraries.

Clients take cruises to different parts of the world for different reasons, and as such we need to understand these reasons so that we can change our own sales dialogue, ensuring that we find the emotional hook to sell. Getting a potential customer excited about Europe is different to the way of getting them excited about Alaska, so ensure you have the necessary skills to “paint the relative picture” in your sales dialogue (your method of communicating to them).We first need to understand our objective – and that is the sale (via professional service of course). But to get this end-point, there are many steps that need to be followed, a paradigm/process; as given in our Sales & Service module.

One of those steps is the moment that you showcase your recommendation, and this is the time in which your dialogue should vary depending on the region your potential client is cruising. Of course, clients’ needs vary (and addressing those is the primary focus of your dialogue), but given that all things are equal, here is a list of regions around the world and how you should be focusing your presentation.

Cruising EuropeThis region is probably the most variable, i.e. clients may take tours or venture independently, but there is one common denominator – Ports! This is where your focus in dialogue should be directed, getting to know the ports is probably more important in this region than any other around the world. Knowing where the ships dock, logistics and access to highlights, touring options, and general tips are all important to know. The greater volume of knowledge in this region, the better you can use different parts of your knowledge to pinpoint towards your clients likes, such as history, arts, scenic journeys, culture or independent exploration.

Knowing Baltic ports is not as imperative (though still good to know), but it’s all about St. Petersburg in this region, by far and away the main reason clients take a Baltic Cruise; so make sure you know that one inside out (click on the back issues of ‘Training Articles’ on the left menu when you next log into our website for some tips on St. Petersburg).

Where it DOES change for Europe is rivers. Knowing every port along a river cruise is not a necessity in selling, though understanding the general experience of each river is paramount as each has its’ own characteristics and can be used towards the appeal for a customer (Note: there are river cruise specific modules available in the Learning Academy).

You will find the rest of this article online at www.cruiseexperts.org in the Members Hub (after log-in).

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