No Brexit Price Increase promise from one-stop shop for river cruising
Scenic and Emerald Waterways have launched their European 2018 Preview river cruise collections with a ‘No Brexit Increase’ on both brands promising customers 2018 river cruises at 2017 prices for a limited time.
Scenic is offering savings of up to £2,000 per couple on its collection of all-inclusive sailings on the Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Douro, French and Russian rivers, plus free private door-to-door chauffeur transfers when guests book before April 28.
Its 2018 price ‘guarantee’ means an 8-day sailing on the Danube starts from £1,495 per person including suite accommodation, fine dining in up to six on board venues, unlimited complimentary premium drinks, personal butler service for every guest, touring in every port, Enrich highlights, wifi, gratuities and more.
Emerald Waterways is offering guaranteed savings of £1,000 per couple on every itinerary, plus €200 on board spend per cabin for bookings made by May 17 on its choice of fully-inclusive sailings on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Douro and Rhône rivers.
An 8-day cruise on the Danube starts from £1,195 per person including river view stateroom, wines, beers and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, an excursion almost every day, enhanced EmeraldPLUS and EmeraldACTIVE experiences, wifi and gratuities.
The free €200 spend can be redeemed against drinks packages, additional excursions or treatments in the on board spa and wellness centre.
The ‘No Brexit Increase’ comes as both brands report continued buoyant 2017 sales and heavy interest in the 2018 programme – particularly on Douro and Russia routes.
Head of sales UK, Angela Sloan believes the perceived ‘value’ of a river cruise, where much is already included in the fare, is providing a strong pull as customers worry about the value of their pound in Europe’s cities and holiday hotspots.
Sloan said: “Brexit has undoubtedly had a knock-on effect on consumer confidence but in our target markets sales have remained strong as customers look to get the most bang from their buck in advance of travel.
“Our ‘one-stop shop’ has put us in a unique position where we’re able to appeal to a whole sub-section of travellers from 4* to top-end 5* who seek high-end experiences that represent true value for money with dining, beverages, tipping and on shore excursions included in the price.
“More diverse routes on the Douro and Russian rivers are performing well as growing percentages of past passengers look for new destinations alongside our ‘bread and butter’ itineraries on the Rhine and Danube which has allowed us to maintain healthy margins whilst still having an enticing set of pricing and offers to keep us competitive.”
