Joining forces
Port associations can be a useful source of information for agents, offering details of the ports themselves, shore excursions, what’s on listings, maps showing where ships dock, live departure and arrival information and training. Here are some of the larger associations.
Atlantic Alliance
The Atlantic Alliance is a marketing project bringing together 18 ports along Europe’s Atlantic and northern coasts. The member ports range in both physical size and cruise market penetration but aim to encapsulate the ‘best of Europe in 18 ports’. Members include Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Dover, Hamburg and Lisbon and the website includes member news, an itinerary planning tool and details of shore excursions in each port.
Cruise Atlantic Canada
The Atlantic Canada Cruise Association is a regional partnership leading growth and development of the cruise industry to enhance Atlantic Canada’s market position. Its excellent website includes cruise schedules, facts and figures and plenty of information and excursion suggestions for each of the member ports.
CruiseBritain
CruiseBritain is a joint initiative between industry, CLIA UK & Ireland and VisitBritain. It is focused on raising the profile of Britain as a world-class cruise destination and promoting cruise holidays as an integral part of the British leisure travel market, and has 52 port members. The website includes destination information, split into themes including heritage, outdoor activities and the royal trail, as well as port news, a distance calculator and arrivals and departures information.
Cruise Baltic
Network Cruise Baltic is a close co-operation between all the major destinations in the Baltic Sea region and aims to be the first point of contact between cruise lines and these destinations. Its members include 27 ports in the Baltic region and the website includes an events calendar, destination and port news and online agent training, with iPad minis to be won.
Cruise Down Under
Cruise Down Under (CDU) is the co-operative marketing brand for Australian and the Pacific region, with 78 members representing regional ports, national and state tourism agencies, shipping agents, and inbound tour operators. The website includes a useful calendar of events for each location as well as detailed information about facilities in each port.
Cruise Europe
A big organisation with more than 100 port members in northern and Atlantic Europe. The website includes detailed information about all the port members, including maps and cruise terminal facilities for each as well as news and pictures.
Cruise Norway
An association of all the major ports along Norway’s 1,300 nautical miles of coastline. The website includes port information, arrivals and departures, trade news, information for the general public, downloadable pictures and theme ideas, from winter to Viking heritage; some very useful selling tools to help clients interested in cruising Norway.
Cruise the St Lawrence
A collaboration of nine ports in Canada and New England who have produced a superb website, including pre- and post-tour ideas, news, pictures, an itinerary simulator and even ideas for visiting crewmembers. There’s an information-packed section for consumers, too.
MedCruise
The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports has 73 members representing more than 100 ports around the Mediterranean and offers opportunities for networking and professional development. The organisation has a useful calendar on its website detailing all the cruise events and conferences in the Mediterranean region.
