Spring arrived today, just not to my hometown. I just got back from a short road trip to our Nation’s Capital and I learned something very interesting this week.

Did you know that Ottawa is an Algonquin word meaning “mountain of snow?” Neither did I, but it’s true - mountains and mountains of snow actually. Street parking has been upgraded to snow bank parking, and people can’t see out their windows. Some people see tragedy, I see opportunity. Great time to sell them a cruise. 

Hopefully by now, you have shaken off the cob-webs from all that green beer, and are preparing for your annual sugar high courtesy of the Easter bunny. Despite these joyous and intoxicating distractions, it’s important not to lose focus. Remember that we will be launching all of our new programs over the course of the next 60 days, so this is the time to be planning your marketing strategy for summer 2008 and beyond. Preparation is the key to success. Having inventory reserved and ready for sale when that phone rings is NOT important it is CRITICAL. To ensure your continued success in 2008 and 2009, make sure that you follow up with my weekly directives. Let Musings on Cruising guide you to take the necessary steps to increased profitability.

In last week’s issue we outlined a blueprint for your success. Remember that blocking Groups is always the first step in your GROWTH strategy.  

Now that Europe 2009 is open for sale, what should you do? Sit on the inventory or promote right away? As always, Musings on Cruising has the answers. This week’s Destination Spotlight features lots of useful promotional and sales tips on how to sell and promote Europe.

So, pour yourselves another cup of coffee and enjoy the latest Princess and Cunard updates.Pincess News
 
1.0       Europe 2009 – On Sale Now! 

Now that 2009 Europe is open for sale, I am hoping that all of you have all your space blocked and are planning your next wave of promotions. If you have not blocked your 2009 Europe Group space, do it today as space is disappearing quickly.

2.0       Summer 2009 Caribbean Princess

Summer 2009 Caribbean and Canada / New England cruises open this week. The Caribbean Princess again returns to New York for a sensational summer season of popular 9-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries. She sails 10 departures, all featuring a call to enchanting Bermuda, plus the topical bliss of San Juan, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk.

Princess blends the perfect amount of sea days with 4 enticing islands to deliver a truly remarkable summer escape.

Following her 9-day Eastern Caribbean program – Caribbean Princess explores the picturesque coastline of the North East with nine 7-day Canada / New England departures beginning on August 22. These roundtrip New York sailings feature Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John and Halifax.

The most appealing feature for me is the fact that these are all roundtrip New York sailings. Connecting flights to Ft Lauderdale are not necessary. New York City is easily accessed almost hourly from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. The proximity of the Brooklyn terminal to both JFK and LaGuardia coupled with a flight time of only 70 minutes, makes this a very appealing option. Think about it. How many clients have told you they had a spectacular cruise, but the long flight home was a nightmare and almost ruined their trip? New York eliminates a lot of these complaints. Plus, it is truly one of the great world cites and definitely merits either a pre or post cruise stay. One or two nights in New York coupled with the cruise will only enhance your client’s entire experience.
 
3.0       Princess Launches 2009 Alaska Program

Princess released its 2009 Alaska program this week. It opens for group blocks and general sale on April 9th. Please print the first 15 pages of the program release. These pages contain the ship deployments and itineraries. Study them, and make a list of the sailing dates you would like to block. I will provide you with a full review of the 2009 Alaska program complete with sales my sales tips, observations and sage advice in future editions of Musings on Cruising.
 
Cunard News
 
4.0       QM2 Ship Visit - New York City – Saturday, May 10.

As I mentioned previously, New York continues to grow as a major cruise port. Cruise lines are adding more sailings from NYC. It is the primary gateway for Canada / New England cruises, and a growing gateway for longer Caribbean voyages. New York is also a terminus for Cunard’s Trans-Atlantic program. Its increasing importance as a cruise gateway gives you the perfect excuse to re-acquaint yourselves with this spectacular city.

Now that you’ve decided, Yes! I need more New York, let me tell you about a wonderful opportunity to experience the Big Apple and also get some work done.
On Saturday, May 10th, I will be one of 4 DSMs leading a team of keen and adventurous travel agents aboard QM2. The event will feature a ship tour, luncheon and a presentation on how to market and sell Cunard to your clients. The event will also give you an opportunity to see the new Brooklyn Ship Terminal, experience first-hand the easy access and convenience of this new facility, and orient yourselves to its proximity to Downtown Manhattan and New York’s two major airports.

This event is being offered to all agents who have attained at least First Officer level in both Princess and Cunard Academies. It is a tremendous opportunity to not only visit the QM2, but also experience Cunard’s renowned onboard service.  If you are interested in participating in this event, please respond to this e-mail and I will forward you the required registration forms.

4.0       Cunard Academy Update.

A remarkable number of you have attained Commodore status with Princess Academy and we applaud you. But why stop there? Cunard also has an excellent Academy program available which will allow you to overcome your fear and anxiety when faced with talking about Cunard with your customers. Our sales records have show that Academy graduates close more business than non-Academy agents. Cunard is a brand that is rapidly gaining awareness with consumers. They are curious, have lots of questions and want to discuss options with knowledgeable and experienced agents. Please be one of those. If you are receiving this e-mail it means you are an agent working in an office which is on my Core List. All core accounts should have at least one Commodore working in the office. Given the very tangible benefits of the Academy program, I would like to see all agents working in a Core Account office to attain at least the First Officer level in both Academies. I want to see all of you succeed. Knowledge is power. Take the time to improve your knowledge and sharpen your sales skills. “Roma non fu fatta in un Giorno” but we have to start somewhere. Let’s start with Academy.

5.0         Destination Spotlight - Europe Sales and Promotional Tips.

Do you have customers who are just approaching you now regarding Europe 2008 cruises? Most of you probably do. Although Princess has already sold out on certain key itineraries, there are other options available to you.

The Queen Victoria is showing prime availability on late summer and fall sailings to Europe providing you with a wonderful alternative when Princess is sold out. Do you have clients interested in seeing the Pyramids? Facing the Sphinx in a stare-down or walking the bustling streets of Cairo? Pacific Princess’ sailings on May 8, September 5, October 11, and November 16 are all oversold and have been closed to groups for months. By way of contrast; Queen Victoria’s November 17, cruise to Egypt is open to groups and showing 10 amenity points available. Don’t turn away business when Queen Victoria offers a wonderful alternative.

Need another example?

Pacific Princess’ July 7, cruise to the Black Sea is closed to groups and showing limited availability; the same itinerary on September 17, is closed to groups and waitlisted in all categories. Queen Victoria’s “Crimean Coasts” Black Sea itinerary has plenty of space. It is open to groups and is showing 10 amenity points available.

Still not convinced up selling to Canard is the solution? Let’s look at one more example.

The very popular Grand Mediterranean itinerary on Emerald Princess is more than 200 beds oversold on its popular September 21 autumn departure. Queen Victoria’s “Classical Mediterranean” itinerary closely mirrors this ever popular choice. The October 12 departure is showing excellent availability; it is open to groups and has 10 amenity points at your disposal.

Queen Victoria has some spectacular itineraries in 2008 showing excellent availability. Treat this as a fantastic opportunity to up-sell your clients to an unforgettable experience.

I see some hands in the air. Let’s take a question from a novice agent.

Grasshopper: But Mark, Princess has just launched its 2009 Europe Program. Should we not be focusing all of our time, energy and resources promoting the 2009 departures?

Musings Master Mark: This is a common mistake. In the case of Europe, always focus on the destination not the year. I will explain this point further in just a moment. Always remember that there is a significant segment of the travelling public, who always want to be the first to book. Give them that opportunity. Pick up the phone today, and let your Europe prospects know that you have contracted space on Princess’ highly sought after 2009 itineraries. Promote through Direct mail, or e-mail blasts to your qualified Europe prospect database. Let them know that the destination is open and available. Set up appointments to meet and discuss their options. This strategy will allow you to secure a lot of early business.

But don’t limit yourselves. Remember that there is also a large segment of the travelling public who thinks the best deals are only available last minute. Many of them are just approaching you now regarding a summer 2008 cruise to Europe. Although Princess is sold our on many key departures, Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria still has plenty of space featuring some dazzling itineraries.

Grasshopper: Isn’t it too early to promote Europe for 2009, if there is still summer 2008 space available?

Musings Master Mark: Europe is the most popular travel destination on the planet. Europe is so huge it dwarfs all other travel destinations. There is no “off season” and there is no “closed for the season”. There is only “low-season” but we need to put that into perspective. Consider this: In France, “low season” means going from 7 million visitors a month to 4 million visitors a month. By way of comparison, if Toronto, Boston or Montreal experienced Europe’s low season tourist traffic, it would result in record breaking numbers. Europe has always been more about “not available” as opposed to “not interested”.  I have never met anyone who wasn’t interested in considering a European vacation. This destination appeals to everyone. Any destination or market that attracts this level of year-round traffic requires a year-round promotional schedule. To succeed you need to promote the biggest destination all the time. You need to have Europe on the brain 24/7 and you need to be promoting this destination non-stop. Promote 2009 Europe for early-birds. Promote 2008 Europe to last-minute customers. Princess not available? Promote Cunard. The most important thing is to promote continuously.

Grasshopper: But “Triple M” Isn’t there a big contrast between Cruising Europe on Princess and experiencing the same destination on Cunard?
Musings Master Mark:

Absolutely. Because of the higher price point, Cunard is what I would consider an up sell opportunity.  The only thing more important than up selling is just plain selling. You can only up sell if you have already sold something, and you can’t sell what you don’t have. If the customer wants to book Princess, but Princess is not available, then the most challenging and profitable option is to offer them a comparable Cunard sailing. Why offer a waitlist, when you can offer an available alternative. Remember, you are not competing with Princess. You are simply offering an option the customer is probably not aware of.

If the client requests Princess in Europe, it is probably because of Princess’ position as the leader in that market. Mention that like Princess, Cunard is also the leader in its field. Focus on how the tradition, legacy, elegance and sophistication of Cunard closely mirrors that of Europe. Show off your Cunard Academy knowledge. Surprise them with how affordable a Cunard cruise to Europe can be. Show them that their dreams can be reality. Make them believe it is possible and close the sale.

Wow, just the kind of sales tips and business strategy you need to help you close more sales.

I hope this newsletter found all of you healthy, happy and prospering. I wish all of you much success. Until the next issue ofMusings on cruising …