First-Time ASTA River Cruise Expo Attendees on Why Travel Advisors Shouldn’t Miss Next Year’s Show

When the third annual ASTA River Cruise Expo, held last year in Amsterdam, sold out quickly, it left hundreds of advisors on the waiting list. To ensure they had the chance to attend this year’s show, ASTA opened registration to them first. As a result, a large percentage of this year’s attendees were first timers.

TMR reached out to several first-timers post-Expo to find out why they felt such a strong need to attend, what they enjoyed most about the Expo, what their advice to next year’s newcomers is, and whether they plan to return next year.

“For the past few years, I’ve followed fellow advisors on social media as they attended this Expo,” Kerry Tice, owner of Enticing Vacations, told TMR. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so I made it a point to get myself there this year. It exceeded my expectations so now I know what all the buzz was about.”

It was a sentiment that echoed in the responses of everyone we spoke to. They saw how much others got out of the how and they wanted to see for themselves.

“This was my first time attending the ASTA River Cruise Expo. My colleague … has attended since the inaugural year. After rave reviews of the benefits of attending and the incredible insight she gained, she convinced me and 12 members of our team to come with her,” said Krissy Yoder, president and owner of Be Our Guest Travel Company.

So Many Ships

The reason travel advisors attend the ASTA River Cruise Expo – and what everyone we spoke to said they loved about the show – is the opportunity to tour and experience so many ships at one time.

As ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby has been quoted as saying: it’s four years of education in one conference.

“I went to the Expo because I knew it was the only time I could see 15 river cruise ships at the same time and be able to learn from the leaders in river cruising at one event,” said Kate Newland, CTP, CTIC, owner and advisor at Kate’s World Travel LLC.

Tice said much the same. “There were a lot of highlights from the Expo, but I think what stood out most to me was the ability to walk from ship to ship and see and experience nine different brands. Like anything else we sell as advisors, being able to bring our clients first-hand experience can often close a sale!”

So, too, did Yoder.

“My favorite part of the Expo was most definitely the time spent touring each of the 15 ships at the Expo, and the AmaMagna which was briefly in port as well. That time was absolutely priceless!”

Charlotte Goldstein, owner of Charlotte’s Web of Travel also said her favorite aspect of the Expo was getting to tour all the ships in attendance.

Another highlight for Goldstein was a special presentation which brought together AmWaterways’ co-founder, co-owner, and president Rudi Schreiner and Viking’s Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen, to take about the history of European river cruising.

But advisors don’t only get to hear from river cruise executives from on stage. Several executives made it a point to hang around at the convention center or be present on their ships to meet and greet and advisors.

“My favorite part of the expo was meeting Kristin and Rudi, the co-owners of AmaWaterways,” Newland told TMR. “They were incredibly kind and down-to-earth. Their passion for river cruising is infectious – hearing about their thought process for building ships focused on safety and the ability to navigate high and low waters when others cannot was truly eye-opening.”

Key Takeaways

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a key takeaway for several advisors we spoke with was the importance of taking out group space for river cruises.

“I learned a lot from the expo, and two key takeaways I’d like to act upon are increasing my river cruise groups to boost profitability for my agency, and exploring Amadeus for their favorable solo pricing, as well as Riviera for their solo-only sailings,” Newland said.

She wasn’t the only advisor we heard talking about their surprise at learning about Riviera’s robust solo offerings.

Most of the lines attending the Expo had special group space offers for attendees.

“I’ve held group space and I’m marketing a group river cruise for October with one of the brands in attendance,” Tice said. “I’ve also made connections with BDMs from brands that I never considered before and am looking to cultivate those business relationships further.”

Goldstein also said she’s walking away from the Expo with a stronger focus on groups – “and pinpointing the right line for each of my clients.”

Advice for Next Year’s Cruise Cruise Expo Newbies

The four advisors we spoke to had lots of advice for next year’s newbie attendees.

Divide and Conquer

“It was very special to be able to attend the Expo with my colleagues, as it gave us the ability to ‘divide and conquer’ as we stayed on different ships and attended different educational sessions,” Yoder explained.

If you’re not traveling with someone, “Find a buddy so you can compare notes,” Goldstein said.

Be Prepared

Attending the ASTA River Cruise Expo is a big investment, both of time and money. (Next year’s Expo is even more expensive, particularly for advisors who want to choose which ship they stay on.) Be prepared for what you want to get out of the show is key to getting the most out of it.

“Try not to get overwhelmed, as there certainly is a lot to take in,” Tice advised. “Make a plan to prioritize which brands you absolutely want to experience and be sure to at least give a cursory look at the others for comparison. You might be surprised at what you find.”

“Make sure that you come to the Expo already knowing the basics of each river cruise line and having completed their training modules – this allows you to spend your time at the Expo digging deeper into the details and nuances of each cruise line.,” Yoder added.

She focused much of her attention on the accessibility of the ships she toured.

“… taking a close look at the ships’ elevators, ramps, stairs, and bathroom spaces so we can best advise our clients. The time spent exploring each ship and looking at these details was invaluable.”

Goldstein also emphasized paying close attention to the cabins. “Really look at the staterooms noting closet space, USB ports, bathroom counter space, amenities…”

She also suggested testing out the food, particularly “for the lines you are most likely to sell.” (As part of the ASTA River Cruise Expo ticket price, advisors do get to select the ships they want to dine on, but preference goes to higher paying attendees first.)    

Don’t Skip Anything

This year’s ASTA River Cruise Expo offered more seminars than in previous years, something that is likely to be done again next year. It can be exhausting, but don’t give in to the temptation to skip out on a session to take a nap.

“No matter how tired you are, do every ship tour and attend as many seminars as possible,” Goldstein said.

Newland agreed.

“Attend the conference [general session], stay on a ship you haven’t sailed on before, and participate in every seminar and session, taking notes to better distinguish between different river cruise companies for your clients.”

Do a Post-Expo FAM Cruise

A common piece of advice we heard was to take advantage of the post-Expo FAM cruise offerings. While not everyone can afford the extra time out of the office, if you’re already paying for airfare to Europe, why not stay a little longer to get to know one line better?

“I would tell them about the pre and post Expo FAM opportunities,” Goldstein said. “I was not aware of these until three to four months prior to the EXPO and had already made plans around this trip so I was not able to take advantage of these options. This is especially important for someone who has never experienced a river cruise.”

“After the expo concluded, we sailed on the AmaLea with Hannah Westerdoll, senior director of sales with AmaWaterways,” Yoder said. “She provided some excellent insight about groups and partial charters with AmaWaterways, so the wheels are turning already to make that happen.”

Ideally, Yoder added, advisors should stay at the Expo on one river cruise line and do their post-Expo sailing with another line.

“When you get home, you’ll be exhausted and your inbox will be full – so before you leave for the Expo, make sure that you have some marketing in place to take what you have learned and run with it,” she added.

Start Planning – and Sharing – Immediately

Newland also advised that advisors not wait until they get home to start either sharing the river cruise experience with clients or planning for how they want to take advantage of everything they’ve learned.

“Share your insights on social media during the conference to showcase your expertise and draft an action plan on your flight back to not only increase your sales but also to match your clients with their ideal river cruise so they have the best experience,” she said. “This opportunity is so limited and can only be experienced by a tiny percentage of travel advisors,” Yoder added. “With over 100,000 travel advisors in the United States and just 1,300 at the River Cruise Expo, an advisor who takes full advantage of this opportunity can leverage their personal experience onboard these ships and fully transform their business to focus on the growing river cruise segment