Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 - (Page 54)

CRUISES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52 riding in Amsterdam and Hamburg; and exclusive wine tastings and dinners at castles in France. John Stoll, Crystal Cruises’ director of land programs, says it’s all about giving affluent travelers the types of activities they really want. “The luxury traveler wants more choices, so we have challenged our tour operators to provide more boutique excursions,” he says. “There is no limit to what can be done; if a tour is great, people will buy it.” Crystal also tracks data “Our experience with shore excursions on the luxury cruises has been very positive,” Vaughn says. “We feel that they definitely are at a much higher standard than mass-market and most premium brands. The quality of the tour guides has been exceptional; the activities, food and transportation have been well above average; and the prices very competitive. My opinion is that the whole luxury experience from the cruise line follows through in everything they do, including shore excursions.” Pat McKenzie of Crossroads Travel in with: overnight stays. Extended port calls allow guests to get a better sense of the destination. Almost invariably, non-luxury ships expect passengers to be back on board by early evening on the day a ship arrives in a port. Anyone can recognize that this doesn’t leave much time to soak up the destination. Crystal Cruises, for example, will offer 34 overland programs on their 2008 world cruise, in such cities as Bangkok and Myanmar. “That cements the experience,” Stoll says of passengers’ having two, sometimes three days away LEFT: Regent guests from the Paul Gauguin on an off-road adventure in Moorea, Tahiti RIGHT: A Crystal passenger in a MiG fighter plane and feedback from guests regarding their shore excursion experience. In doing so, it uses the information to improve on or create new future shore programs. Excursions not only are a benefit for guests, they also can serve as another selling point for travel agents—a way to say to a client that a cruise is more than just sailing at sea. “Excursions are a great tool for travel agents,” Stoll says. “They are another way to get excited about a destination.” Although shore excursions are usually noncommissionable, they remain an important portion of the agent’s booking. Additionally, if the excursion fails to impress a client, it could mean lost future business for the agent as well as for the cruise line. Jerry Vaughn, president and CEO of World Voyager Vacations in Washington state, has had success with the luxury lines’ shore programs. 54 | TravelAgent December 24, 2007 Richmond, VA, allows that luxury lines do a great job planning and running shore excursions, but says the gap between what the luxury lines and the mass-market lines offer is narrowing, especially in more exotic destinations. “I think it depends on the part of the world you are cruising in,” McKenzie says. “Even the mega lines in Russia and Europe try to customize shore excursions better than other areas such as the Caribbean, where there are more run-of-the-mill excursions. It also doesn’t hurt that the luxury ships are dealing with much smaller groups.” McKenzie says she was “surprised” when sailing Dawn Princess recently in the Mexican Riviera and her group was offered a salsa dance class and cooking class as part of a shore excursion. “Perhaps they are coming around.” There is one advantage the luxury lines have that the lower-priced lines are just catching up from the ship. “It’s a good thing to get off the ship and really experience the destination.” Crystal also offers extended pre- and postcruise land stays, as well as Crystal Private Adventures, where guests can customize their own shore excursions. To speak with a Crystal shore excursions representative, call 888-722-0021. Silversea Cruises (www.silversea.com) has a comprehensive list of shore excursions that compare favorably to other luxury lines’, plus an additional perk in “Silversea Experiences”—complimentary off-ship activities that the line administers. These experiences could be a campfire dinner in Africa or a journey through the waterways of Vietnam by junk, a traditional Chinese boat. For information on Silversea’s shoreside programs, call 800-722-9955. I CONNECTING YOU For more about shore excursions, visit www. travelagentcentral.com/shoreexcursions http://www.silversea.com http://travelagentcentral.com/shoreexcursions

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor Letters to the Editor Contributors Europe: Lyon, the Center of France Two Iconic London Hotels Jazz Up their Top Suites Europe Briefs Mexico: Puerto Morelos on the Riviera Maya Mexico News & Notes Pacific/Asia: Large-Scale Developments Strengthen Singapore’s Appeal to Families, Meetings and Other Travelers Caribbean: Old San Juan’s New Hotel The Cervantes Ritz-Carlton Upgrades, La Concha Reopens in San Juan Peter Island Resort Hawaii: Maui Enhances its Allure for Active and Luxury Clients Las Vegas: Hoteliers and Wholesalers Go Beyond Gaming Las Vegas Briefs Tours: Pacific Northwest Briefs Hotels: News and Packages from All-Inclusives in Mexico and the Caribbean Cruises: Luxury Lines’ Shore Excursions Cover Story: Gerry Cahill Agent Profile: Nancy Nicol, Hawaii Specialist and Hyatt Award Winner Technology: Mailpound’s Customized Marketing Transportation: Boeing’s Anticipated Next Arrival: the 747-8 Intercontinental New York: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Vegas Travel Week Sofitel’s Two New Brands Travelport Rolls Out Leisure Product Expedia CruiseShipCenters Debuts U.S. Tourism to Israel In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch Special Supplememt: 2008 Portugal Travel Guide

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

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