And just like that, wave season is (almost) over. If there’s one thing to take away as the first quarter of the year comes to a close, it’s that travellers are continuing to put their confidence in cruising. You only need to look at the number of lines and agents who have posted record-breaking sales numbers – including Celestyal, who reported a week’s worth of deals in a single day in February – to see that post-pandemic travel has taken a gear shift.
However, with more than 20 new ships launching this year, cruise lines are under more pressure than ever to fill their cabins, and if post-wave sales begin to tail off, the prospect of slashing prices might be too tempting to turn down. That’s why for this issue’s CTN Investigates on page 37, we’ve decided to address the discounting dilemma by asking whether the industry will hold firm or continue to cut fares and put cruise’s value at risk.
Meanwhile, on page 16, we assess what the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea means for the industry. This follows the news that Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line and more have decided to cancel or re-route their round-the-world trips to avoid the region, causing one agent to lose a booking worth £30k.
And finally, our new guest columnist, CLIA’s UK and Ireland managing director Andy Harmer, reveals why now is the perfect time for agents to boost their river business. You can find Andy’s piece on our back page.
There’s all that, plus a stellar line-up of inspiring travel features to get your customers dreaming of their next holiday.
Happy reading!