Andy Harmer, vice-president of operations and director, CLIA UK & Ireland, has advice on resolutions that are worth keeping.

As we head into 2017 New Year’s resolutions are formulated – and these will inevitably have fallen by the way side by the end of January – at least for me anyway. Every year I make a promise to myself to stick to them and am predictably disappointed. This got me thinking – surely there have to be some changes that we can all make that will ensure a happier, more fulfilling year ahead and that don’t involve the cabbage soup diet, a gruelling exercise plan, or taking up a strange hobby?

Last year, the news was full of stories around the importance of achieving a better stress/life balance. Stylist magazine encouraged readers to ‘reclaim their lunch break’ and Working Families ran a ‘National Work Life Week’ in October following their research which highlighted that a shockingly low 12 per cent of parents are confident that they have the ‘right work/life balance’.

In Clia’s own research, it seems that thousands of us are keen to improve our work/life balance in 2017. Of those we surveyed 37 per cent confessed that having too much on at work causes them a great deal of stress and that a holiday is key to reducing this.

It’s important that we work hard to ensure that our messaging around the ‘benefits of cruising’ mirrors the concerns, wants and priorities of our customers. As an industry, we are very good at shouting about the unbeatable value a cruise holiday offers. While this message is important, why get to know your customers better in 2017. Chances are that spending more time with family and achieving a better stress/life balance will be up there on their list of priorities.

Thanks to a combination of new experiences available ashore, new ships, and new onboard features, there is something for everyone when it comes to cruising. So as well as highlighting the great value that a cruise holiday offers, my advice to you for 2017 is to also make your customers aware of the other benefits that they may not have considered. After all, if you’re able to make positive changes to your life by going on a holiday as opposed to cutting out the carbs, surely that’s the option we’d all go for?