Travel agents Mandy Semper and Adaline Nicholson have both booked personal holidays with Cunard as a result of the line’s fam trip and ship visit programme

Samper, assistant manager at Lincolnshire Co-operative Travel, joined a four-night fam trip to Rotterdam on Cunard’s new ship, Queen Anne, back in August and has subsequently booked a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise featuring celebrity chef Michel Roux, departing May 2025.

 “The atmosphere on Queen Anne was more laid back and informal than I was expecting, with a mixture of ages on board,” she said.

“The food was amazing and there’s a lovely variety of bars and restaurants for guests to choose from. I was also pleasantly surprised at how good the Cunard Insight speakers were. I now know that Cunard is not just for a certain type of person; it is far more diverse and affordable than I imagined.”

Meanwhile, Adalain Nicholson, travel manager at Travel Counsellors, has booked a seven-night Norwegian Fjords with Michel Roux voyage, departing April 2025, having attended a ship visit on Queen Mary 2 in Liverpool back in September.

Nicholson said: “I enjoyed the whole experience and the timeless elegance of Queen Mary 2. It’s clear to see that Cunard can suit all ages. I now feel more confident in the whole process of promoting and booking a Cunard cruise.”

“This is clear evidence of the value of getting agents on board”

Cunard has to date operated two agent fam trips this year, with a further two arranged for 13 October, on Queen Mary 2, to Hamburg, and 15 November, on Queen Victoria, to Amsterdam.

The line’s 2024 ship visit programmes includes 10 events, across Queen Anne, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, in Liverpool, Greenock and Southampton.

In September Cunard said it planned to reach more than 250 travel agents across 70 stores in the UK during last month’s Cruise Week as part of its biggest-ever nationwide sales blitz

Tom Mahoney, UK sales director at Cunard, added: “We’re delighted that Mandy and Adalaine enjoyed their time on board to such an extent that they have chosen to book their own holidays on our stunning Norwegian Fjords voyages. This is clear evidence of the value of getting agents on board to see first-hand the huge range of experiences we offer.”

Agents who make their own Cruise with Cunard booking can now make multiple payments towards their balance using their Shine points. Jane Chadwick, cruise specialist at GoCruise & Travel, recently booked her third Cunard voyage, which was paid for entirely with Shine points, celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary.

Chadwick said: “This is what Shine points were invented for. I’m so excited for our Queen Victoria voyage over New Year, where we’ll be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary on 30 December.”