Travel Agents Know That Cruises are Popular Vacation Choice
by Dr.Ricardo Lalama · Filed Under: Caribbean Vacations · Family Vacations · Travel Tips
Travel agents know that cruises are a popular vacation choice for families, honeymoons, romantic getaways and everything in-between. People just love cruising! According to the most recent market profile study released by Cruise Lines International, travel agents are a crucial element to the cruising craze now in full swing. Travel agents have the ability to access special deals and provide vital information for consumers. According to the article below, travel agents know that cruises are a popular vacation choice and they want to capitalize on the potential commissions in addition to making your vacation as special as possible.
What Do The People Say?
“Cruise Lines International Associations 2011 Cruise Market Profile Study has just been released, and the news is very good for travel agents selling cruises. According to more than 1,300 past cruisers and non-cruisers – a representative sample of the industry’s core target market, adults 25 years or older with household incomes of at least $40,000 – 36 million Americans are “likely” to take a cruise in the next three years. That’s three million more than in the last study, which was done in 2008 before the recession. We’re talking about a lot of potential commissions!
“Seventy-seven percent of past cruisers expressed interest in a cruise vacation in the next three years, and 50 percent of non-cruise vacationers expressed an interest in taking their first cruise within the next three years. Incidentally, based on those surveyed, 40 percent of cruisers last year were first-timers. Clearly, there are huge opportunities to find new cruise business.
Cruise Lines Offer Great Value for Vacation Dollars
“Why the strong interest? Essentially, cruise lines continue to deliver a wide variety of innovative products offering great value. The survey found that a large majority of consumers (94 percent) rate cruising as a satisfying vacation experience, with 45 percent rating a cruise as “extremely satisfying.”
“Most people also view cruise vacations as a superior value. Compared to land-based vacations, nearly twice as many people equate cruising with very high value, and, among past cruisers, the gap is even greater. Among all vacationers, cruises come out on top – “much better/somewhat better” – compared to other types of vacations in categories such as: chance to visit multiple destinations (56 percent), being pampered (44 percent), fine dining (51 percent) and just getting away from it all (44 percent). All this makes cruising the satisfaction leader among vacation choices.
Cruise Vacationers Value Travel Agents
“What’s more, cruise vacationers value travel agents. They typically use the services of an agent more than non-cruise vacationers. Ninety-four percent of cruisers are satisfied with their travel agent, including nearly 60 percent who express very or extreme satisfaction with their agents.
“Travel agents also remain the distribution channel offering the best service in the travel business, according to the study. It’s also worth noting that two-thirds of consumers say professional designations – such as CLIA’s Accredited, Master and Elite Cruise Counsellor certifications – encourage them to use an agent.”
What Do Cruisers Want?
“For starters, cruisers enjoy fine dining, a hassle-free vacation that’s easy to plan and arrange, high-quality entertainment and the chance to explore a destination they might like to return to. They also want to have fun. Their favorite places to cruise are, in order of preference, the Caribbean, Alaska, Bahamas, Hawaii, Bermuda, the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, Europe, the Panama Canal, Canada/New England and Mexico. Among the key influencers in selecting a particular cruise are the destination, overall experience, the ship, the cost, and shipboard facilities available, such as a spa, gym or children’s facilities.”
Consumers need to realize that they should always use a travel agent when booking a vacation, especially a cruise. There is no substitute for the experienced travel agent who can really pull your whole trip together based on your personal preferences and needs. Travel agents provide valuable information about each cruise that the average vacationer would not have access to. Because travel agents know that cruises are popular vacation choice, they are constantly updating their knowledge of all the different cruise lines and latest news for each ship.
Are you considering a cruise for your next vacation? Consider booking with an experienced travel agent.
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A Chiropractor and an Internet entrepreneur with a special interest in the home travel business industry, Dr. Ricardo Lalama now comes to tell you how exciting it is to start up your very own home based travel business. Dr. Ricardo Lalama has invested more than five years to find out the full potential of the World Wide Web. It is through this time that he discovered it is the home based travel business industry that possesses a large marketing potential because of its character as the single largest category of eCommerce on the net. He is inviting everyone to get this great opportunity to start a home based travel business.