A travel agent has secured two bookings with HX Expeditions worth almost £50,000 (€66,000) just days after visiting the line’s MS Fram as part of the CLIA Expedition Cruise Summit

Danni Martin, from Scotland Cruise Centre, converted the event into two 23-night In-depth Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands itinerary bookings after the visit “completely changed” her understanding of the product.

She said: “Experiencing MS Fram in Dover, meeting the expedition team, seeing the cabins first-hand and getting a real sense of life on board completely changed my understanding of the product. Hearing from the onboard historian and spending time with the team brought everything together in a way no training or webinar ever could.

“Before the visit, I wasn’t completely confident in how to position HX cabins or explain how they differ from traditional cruise expectations, but the ship visit cleared everything up. Shortly after, I received an inbound enquiry from two couples for the brands In depth Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands expedition, and by the end of the same afternoon, both bookings were confirmed.”

She continued: “The experience gave me the confidence to talk about Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands as distinct destinations, each with their own unique appeal, as well as how to clearly position the ship itself. I honestly cannot overstate how important that ship visit was.”

It comes after HX Expeditions took part in the third annual CLIA Expedition Cruise Summit last month, held in Canterbury and Dover. The programme brought together expedition cruise partners and agents for two days of networking, learning and collaboration.

The event began in Canterbury, where attendees connected over industry updates and a hosted dinner with HX Expeditions’ UK sales team. On day two, agents joined HX Expeditions onboard MS Fram for a full day of business sessions and an immersive ship experience.

Commenting on the importance of in-person experiences, Mark Walter, director of sales UK and Northern Europe at HX Expeditions, said: “Ship visits are one of the most powerful tools we have in supporting the trade. They give agents the opportunity to fully understand our product, ask questions and experience first-hand what makes expedition cruising so unique. Seeing that translate so quickly into bookings is exactly why we continue to invest in these experiences.

“As we mark 130 years of exploration this summer, continuing to work closely with our agent partners remains a key priority. We’re looking forward to building on this momentum at upcoming industry events, including the CLIA Conference in Southampton later this month and their Expedition Showcase in Svalbard from July 24th – 27th.”