Recommend May 2018 - 9

are Saying

Cruise Bookings

Cruising is by far one of the most popular vacations and many times
the heart and soul of a travel agency, so we asked several questions on
this topic, including why your clients choose to take a cruise. The top
reason here, again, was to visit a new destination, with 65 percent of
respondents pointing to it. Of course, no surprise that taking a family
vacation on a cruise (55 of respondents pointed to this reason) and
celebrating a milestone celebration (46 of respondents pointed to it) is
also top of mind when your clients come to you wanting to sail away.
But why is cruising so popular? Travel agent Rigoberto Acosta said
that "it's all included," while travel agent Patricia Liebau mentioned
that travelers "unpack once, and the destinations come to you." Jackie
Johnson, one of the other travel agents who responded to the survey,
also noted that cruising offers "very competitive pricing," and travel
agent Robert Terzick echoes that reason, noting that it's "good value,
and allows them time to relax. You visit multiple destinations without
having to fly in-between."
So where are your clients headed when they take a cruise? The
Caribbean is still the top region for cruising, according to those who
responded to our survey. Forty-seven percent pointed to this beachdraped area of the world, while 31 percent of respondents said that
Europe was the most popular cruise destination for 2018/2019 among
their clients. The most off-the-beaten-path destination when it comes
to cruising? It ranges from Antarctica to Iceland, Cuba, Vietnam and
the Panama Canal.
Of course, river cruising is immensely popular, but why are travelers
going on river cruises; what's motivating them to opt for this style of
cruising? Sixty-eight percent of those who responded said that their
clients are looking for locally immersive and cultural experiences,
while 69 percent of respondents said that their clients are seeking a
small ship experience. And more than 50 percent of those who took
the survey said that their clients were interested in the food and wine
experience they can have on board a river cruise. Other reasons?
Travel agent Shari Kavalin said that clients choose river cruising
because it's a "totally inclusive experience: no nickel-and-diming,"
while "seeing the interior of Europe," is a motiving factor said travel
agent Mary DeSantis. The "Christmas markets," too, spur travelers to
opt for a river cruise, says travel agent Sheila James.
Baby boomers, of course, have been on the river cruise bandwagon
for some time, but now there's talk of Millennials showing interest in
this type of travel, so in the survey we asked the respondents which
demographic, besides Baby Boomers, is requesting a river cruise, and
we listed as options Millennials, Gen X, Immediate Families and
Multigenerational family groups. The demographic that respondents
pointed to the most was multigenerational, which garnered 32 percent
of the responses. Gen X got 26 percent of respondents clicking away,
and only 13 percent of respondents pointed to Millennials. Immediate
families? They got 21 percent of the vote, and some agents clicked on
"other," pointing overwhelmingly to "older than Baby Boomers."

Top 3 reasons
for taking a cruise

1. Visit New Destinations
2. Family Vacation
3. Milestone Celebration

Why is cruising so popular?

Travel agent Rigoberto Acosta
says that "it's all included,"
while travel agent Patricia Liebau
mentioned that travelers
"unpack once, and the
destinations come to you."
On a cruise vacation, clients get
"good value and it allows them
time to relax. They visit multiple
destinations without having to
fly in-between."

- Travel Agent Robert Terzick

may 2018 9

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2018