In the latest edition of our Question Time series, Paramount Cruises apprentice Josh Harris asks how he can turn cruise sceptics into avid sailors

The cruise industry is continuing to reach new heights, with passenger numbers once again hitting record levels. According to CLIA’s 2025 State of the Cruise Industry Report, nearly 35 million passengers sailed in 2024, up 9 per cent on 2023, with 68 per cent of international travellers considering taking their first cruise.

However, not everyone is a cruise fanatic. So, how do agents convince those anti-cruisers to take the plunge and book their first sailing?

Josh Harris, an apprentice at Paramount Cruises, loves to set sail and hopes to introduce more people to the sector. “I love cruising and I tell everyone to go on one so they can experience how amazing it is,” he says.

“There are so many different products out there, and every cruise line seems to be tailored for different people which is amazing but can be a challenge. “There is so much information to give people who have never cruised before, so it is hard to know what the key selling points are without going on and on. How do I figure out which is the best line for a specific person? And how do I get that lightbulb moment when someone who said they would never cruise realises there might just be a sailing for them?”

Luke Smith, vice president of trade sales UK and EMEA for Crystal, says one of the main challenges agents face when trying to convince an anti-cruiser to get on board is misconceptions and misinformation, as outdated views on cruise are passed down from generation to generation.

He says the industry has evolved in recent years and it is an agent’s job to understand what their client wants out of a holiday and partner them with an appropriate cruise line. “I always feel that anti-cruisers think of cruising as something their grandparents did, or they remember negative headlines or documentaries about the industry that do nothing to portray the incredible experience on board, let alone the freedom, service choice and overall quality that cruise holidays offer when compared to land-based equivalents,” he tells me.

“So, as an agent, what you are really up against is misinformation and outdated stereotypes and you need to use all the content and information available to you from cruise lines to educate them When [customers] say that old people cruise, show them videos of young couples and groups of friends experiencing Virgin Voyages.

“When they say there will be no home comforts, present them with one of the lines, such as P&O Cruises, which is dedicated to the UK market. And when they say that ships are too big and crowded, showcase some of the exceptional options in the ultra‑luxury sector, such as Crystal, with the largest guest-to-space ratio at sea. The bottom line is that the cruise industry has a product to overcome any barrier and your job as an agent is simply to show them the error of their ways.”

Similarly, Hannah Vincent, owner and director of Select World Travel, emphasises the importance of learning and urges agents to do their homework before suggesting a specific sailing to their client. She also warns of the dangers of sending a customer on an ill-suited cruise and suggests the trade tries to get on board as many sailings as possible to give them a greater understanding of the products in the market.

“Cruising is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation,” she says. “People hear each other’s horror stories after they have been on a ship that was not right for them and it creates a negative cloud over the cruising world. There really is a cruise out there for everyone and getting a first-time cruiser on the right sailing is essential as it will make or break their cruising relationship and outlook. Going on your own holidays, fam trips and ship visits is imperative to selling confidently and choosing the right cruise line for the right client.”

Most concerns dissolve when you shift the frame rather than argue the point

Jonny Peat, director of cruise at Advantage Travel Partnership, encourages agents to make customers feel they are missing out on an amazing holiday experience, and to reframe their concerns as positives. He argues securing an anti-cruiser is less about selling a cruise and more about making them feel it is a holiday they have overlooked. “Start by resetting the narrative,” he says.

“Cruising isn’t what people think it is anymore – new ships, better experiences and plenty of people who swore they’d never do it are now booking. That alone is enough to make someone pause and think ‘have I missed something?’

“From there, lean into what they’re actually missing; not features but experiences. Waking up somewhere new everyday, seeing multiple destinations without the faff of packing and logistics, accessing places that are simply harder to do land-based. And when objections come up, don’t debate them, reframe them. ‘I don’t want to be stuck on a ship’ becomes ‘you’re barely on it and the ship’s part of the experience’. Most concerns dissolve when you shift the frame rather than argue the point.”

Vicky Billing, trade and partnerships director UK and Ireland for Riviera Travel, urges agents to look beyond ocean cruising when pitching sailings to customers, and to recognise the “fundamentally different” product river cruises can offer.

She highlights some of the negative stereotypes often associated with ocean cruising, such as long embarkation times and mandatory formal attire, and challenges agents to myth-bust those concerns while appealing to a customer’s interests.

“I’d encourage agents to lead with the experience, not the ship, and appeal to what customers already value. If they enjoy escorted touring, culture, history, food and wine, or seeing more without the constant packing and logistics, river cruising delivers all of that in a relaxed, comfortable way. It’s often a far gentler first step than ocean cruising.”

Mark Walter, director of sales, northern Europe, for HX Expeditions, adds: “Many people who are ‘anti-cruise’ are reacting to traditional perceptions rather than what an HX Expeditions voyage actually offers. The key is to reframe the experience.”

It is an agent’s job to change outdated perceptions of cruising, do their homework on the huge variety of products on offer and make customers recognise there is a sailing out there to suit them.