"next cruise" marketing

Tamara · May 22, 2004

I read that a lot of people have already started planning their next cruise soon after arriving home from the latest one.

How's this for a marketing idea (maybe upon reading this, you'll know that I don't work in marketing!):

On every cruise, passengers could book their next cruise on the same line at a deep discount if they put a deposit on it before the end of the cruise. Passengers are having a great time, feeling all relaxed or all excited (whatever they're into) and are really loving the experience. This is a good time to sell another cruise, no?

To be very ethical, the cruise booking office on board should NOT be open late in the evening, so that people having those extra martinis or glasses of wine will not be impetuously paying in full for a cruise and then waking up the next morning saying, "I did WHAT???"

Dan · May 22, 2004

You mean you just got off a HAL ship and didn't see the future cruise booking desk? Many lines already do this type of thing, and usually provide a cabin credit for that future cruise. You can also assign that booking to your local travel agent. I don't think you need to book a specific cruise either, but that could be different from line to line.

I agree it is a great way to get people to book a new cruise, though. That desk is probably busiest in the last couple days of a cruise too.

Tamara · May 22, 2004

No, I didn't see that, but I wasn't around the office area much at all.

GottaCruz · May 22, 2004

Tamara, I like the part about the but whenever we're on a ship, we ask them to quote a price and it is always much more than what it costs us with a travel agent. I like your idea and think they should really give a "DEEP DISCOUNT- AND I MEAN DEEP. :cool:

sailingrose · May 22, 2004

A DEEP discount would be wonderful but they aren't deep at all. I book onboard whenever possible to get the credit to my shipboard account and then transfer it to my agent and he discounts it.

I've got $100 credit on the next cruise and $200 on the cruise in December as I booked 2 cabins. Helps pay for those little extras.