Princess Luncheon Tours: “Money Maker” for Line – and Agents?

Updated February 18, 2010

Since Princess Cruises announced its Bon Voyage Experience, questions have been raised over how travel agents can best use the program, and avoid any future bookings going directly through the cruise line.

“This will be a big money maker for Princess,” several travel agents told Travel Market Report.

But will it be a money maker for agents?

For agents bringing their own clients on board, there is little question the bookings will be made through the travel agent.

“It is an implied fact that the group would book with our agency should they decide to proceed,” said Ralph Santisteban, who uses onboard luncheon tours to introduce group leaders to cruise products. “The group leader who attends the luncheon generally serves as the pied piper for their specific cruise sailing. They simply assure that all guests book through our agency in order to assure getting all, if any, group perks that would be offered to their guests.”

But what about bookings made by guests of booked passengers?

According to a spokesperson for Princess, travel agents do not need to worry about their clients’ guests booking a future cruise during their onboard visit. Other than the $39 discount, essentially a refund of the money spent to come onboard, there will be no other onboard discount offered for booking a future cruise on the spot. Nor will they be given a chance to meet with the onboard future cruise reservationist. This means that visitors must wait until they get home to make their booking.

However, in order to ensure that visitors do not book while on the ship, travel agents will need to educate their own clients.

Sherry Laskin, owner of Florida-based Vacation Shoppe told TMR it will be up to agents to make sure their clients are well versed in what to tell their friends and family.
Since the future cruise must be booked within 90 days of the Bon Voyage Experience to apply the $39 as onboard credit, agents will want to make sure that the guest contacts them and not the cruise line.

Original article:
Reviving a signature tradition from the early days of cruising, Princess Cruises is debuting a new program giving passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard their ship on embarkation day to wish them “bon voyage.”

Additionally, the program, called the Bon Voyage Experience, enables travel agents living in port cities to bring prospective passengers aboard Princess ships for lunch and a tour, giving their clients a first-hand taste of life aboard a Princess cruise.

This service has not been offered by Princess Cruises for many years due to heightened security requirements at ports. However, a spokesperson for Princess said the line did not have to make any changes to its current security procedures.

“The security procedures are the very same that we have for passengers, vendors, travel agents and other guests, so this program did not require an alteration of our procedures.”

Agents who are scheduled for an in-port ship tour can now invite their clients to join them, spending approximately four hours together on the ship before it sets sail, plus enjoy a four-course dining room lunch with wine, a ship tour and even a souvenir photo to take home. The cost for the program is $39 per person, which can be applied toward clients’ future cruises if they book.

The program debuts in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale, and then rolls out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

“Seeing a ship in person is a powerful way to give potential cruisers a feel for the excitement of cruising, and a small preview of the cruise experience that awaits them,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. “We think this new program can be a great way to turn a ‘maybe’ into a sale.”

Swartz added that agents can use the program as a selling point for clients who would enjoy having their family and friends see them off.

“We are very excited that Princess Cruises has brought this back, we hope that others will follow,” Diane Mendoza, owner of Laguna Beach, CA-based Cruises Inc. told Travel Market Report.

Ralph Santisteban, owner of Miami CruiseOne, called the program spectacular said, “Undoubtedly, our agency will be participating in this new program.”

Though no other cruise lines offer an official program like the Bon Voyage Experience, Santisteban told TMR that all of the other major cruise lines have been open to a request to bring people on board when the ships are in dock.

Over the past 10 years, he said, his agency has taken more than 2,000 consumers on board other cruise line ships for luncheon tours. 

 “It has proved time and again to be a very successful marketing tool, particularly when presenting the product to group leaders who are the principle decision makers when it comes down to selling affinity groups.”

How to Book a Guest Visit

The number of guests who will be able to participate in the Bon Voyage Experience on any given embarkation day will be approximately 50, is based on space availability and is first come, first served. Travel agents and booked passengers have the same opportunity to book the available space.

“There are no guarantees of the space, so early booking is suggested,” the spokesperson said.

In order to register guests for the program, agents or passengers will need to call 800-PRINCESS beginning 120 days before the cruise and up to six days before the sailing date. Once registered, guests can input their required security information through the line’s Cruise Personalizer.

The roll-out schedule for the Bon Voyage Experience is: March 6, Los Angeles – Sapphire Princess and Crown Princess; March 7, Los Angeles – Coral Princess; March 7, Ft. Lauderdale – Emerald Princess; March 10, Los Angeles – Island Princess; March 10, Ft. Lauderdale – Ruby Princess; March 14, Los Angeles – Golden Princess; March 27, Ft. Lauderdale – Royal Princess; April 10, Ft. Lauderdale – Star Princess; May 18, New York – Caribbean Princess; and June 1, San Francisco – Sea Princess.
During the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Royal Princess will offer the program from Seattle, beginning in May.

Agents can find more information about the new Bon Voyage Experience program on www.OneSourceCruises.com or call (800) 421-1700.