TravelMole Interview: Andrew Poulton, director of strategic marketing, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises plans this year to add a booking site just for agents, says Andrew Poulton, director of strategic marketing, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises. “They play a huge part in our operations and represent about 97% of our bookings,” he told TravelMole. “Booking a typical luxury cruise is pretty complicated right now,“ he added, which is why most cruise passengers continue to use agents. Eventually, he said, the upscale cruise line will also add a booking site for individuals as more and more of them learn to buy their own tickets. “What’s happening now is that people are using web sites for information. It’s almost like using an electronic brochure, but they’re going to travel agents to make their bookings,” he said. That’s particularly apparent in high-end cruises, though Radisson positions itself as the bottom end of the luxury market. “So our pricing is relatively aggressive,” he said. Cruise discounting is diminishing, he added. “We’re not having any discounting for our peak summer season,” he said. In addition to standard commissions, Mr Poulton said, most agents with consortiums receive overrides. A new source of possible income will be available at Radisson later this year when they start a world cruise that may last upwards of three months. “That’s a huge possible commission,“ said Mr Poulton. “A typical world cruise for a couple may be $120,000, so even at the basic 10%, that’s $12,000.”