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Thomas Cook introduces holiday rep concept to cruise
Thomas Cook is to take its holiday rep concept to the seas after research into what people want from a cruise.
It has partnered with NCL Freestyle Cruising to offer holidaymakers a new package holiday experience at sea.
On selected 2009 departures, Thomas Cook reps will be onboard NCL’s European-based ships – Norwegian Gem, Jewel and Jade – to greet customers, book excursions, source emergency suntan cream and meet any other needs.
All flights and transfers will be booked by Thomas Cook and customers will receive port-side priority check-in at a dedicated Cruise Thomas Cook branded check-in area.
A door-to-door chauffeur service is also exclusively available to Cruise Thomas Cook customers, along with low deposits of £50 on NCL’s European and Mediterranean cruises and exclusive prices on a range of NCL cruises, for bookings made before June 30 2009.
Describing it as a “revolutionary move†Cruise Thomas Cook said it made the decision follows extensive research into what today’s generation of cruisers are looking for.
Its recent study of 5,000 UK holidaymakers revealed 52% of cruisers believe it is important to book cruises through a specialist agent, and 25% said the expertise of the cruise agent was a key factor when choosing a cruise holiday.
The report also revealed that cruising is no longer viewed as old-fashioned, with 60% of cruisers seeing it as less formal than it used to be and 57% believing cruise ships now offer more to do onboard.
Thomas Cook hopes the new concept will help open up cruising to a wider demographic that includes younger couples and families.
Cruise Thomas Cook director Marc Bennett said: “As the original founder of package holidays, this is the next step in a long history of travel firsts for Thomas Cook and one which we believe will revolutionise the way people take cruises in 2009.â€
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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