MSC Cruises UK & Ireland director of sales Steve Williams talks through some key aspects of selling new on-board measures and protocols.

Guests rely on travel agents because of the excellent service they provide – this is everything from sharing important information and keeping them up to date with changes and developments, to recommendations with regards to what to book on board.

Now more than ever, this dialogue is so important. Guests need to feel informed, reassured and confident in what they are booking.

This could mean sharing information with clients on extensive health and safety protocols – including those at MSC Cruises that allowed us set sail in August following the global shutdown of operations for all operators – or letting clients know about stress-free booking policies that offer maximum flexibility.

MSC Cruises continues to lead the way with our comprehensive and robust protocols. These are built around a nine-pillar strategy that includes universal testing of all guests at least twice per voyage, and crew who are tested at least three times before embarkation and weekly on board, and protected shore excursions organised as social bubbles.

We also have specially designed ventilation for the ships, as well as all the measures ashore, such as social distancing – aided by reduced capacity of the ship – and the wearing of masks when this isn’t possible.

Guide clients through the changes

Since resuming some sailings last August, many of our guests have stated they feel safer on a ship than ashore.

All elements have been carefully considered so we can deliver both the high standards our guests expect, preserving the uniqueness of the guest experience, as well as following the strict health and safety protocols.

There have of course been some changes to the on-board experience. It’s important for agents to focus on guiding clients through the protocols that have been introduced, including pre-booking activities to help keep group numbers low, introducing a table-only service at the buffet to reduce contact during peak dining times and the use of face masks in public spaces to ensure every passenger feels comfortable and safe during a cruise.

These simple steps not only maintain the high standard of cruise experience, but they also allow guests to feel more in control of their own holiday.

It’s also imperative for agents to highlight that the majority of facilities and programmes on board are still available for use, and where restrictions have been put in place, they have been strategically implemented to cause minimum disruption.

Finally, it’s important to remember that these protocols are designed to be adaptable.

While for the time being the cruise experience may be slightly different, it will still be the amazing holiday guests have come to expect.

Connect with MSC

MSC Cruises has also added a virtual meeting resource on its trade website to connect agents with the sales team.

The tool, called Sales Connect, can be accessed on MSC Book, and is aimed at retail agents and homeworkers, giving them the option to book virtual meetings with the MSC regional sales team.

Selling tips:

• Open lines of communication with clients. Due to the fluid nature of the situation, there will be more changes than usual so it’s super important to be aware of these and provide clients with timely updates
• Understand health and safety protocols and the stress-free booking policies. This will help reassure clients of their safety and give them the confidence to book knowing their terms are flexible
• Know the ships and the products – in 2021, for example, we have MSC Virtuosa in the UK for its inaugural season