Franchisees enjoy a Virgin Voyages cruise that combines workshops with onboard experiences to help them conquer the booming lucrative cruise market

Co-founder of The Travel Franchise and Not Just Travel Paul Harrison has taken 95 franchisees on a company cruise on board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady around the Med. 

The trip is not only a great opportunity for the travel consultants to experience the cruise firsthand – and hence make it easier for them to sell – but it’s also a chance for them to attend a series of workshops that teach them how to master the art of selling a cruise. 

The pioneering ‘Seminar at Sea’ is the fourth cruise organised by the company’s Cruise Division which was set up in 2022 with the aim of educating and training agents to take full advantage of the growing cruise market. Since then, the company has seen cruise sales soar, and the trend continues unabated.

According to the latest statistics from Cruise Lines International Association, the leading voice of the global cruise community, cruise holidays continue to be one of the fastest-growing and most resilient sectors of tourism. 

·       In 2023 31.7 million passengers took a cruise – almost two million more compared with pre-pandemic days.

·       In 2024 that figure is due to rise even more with 35.7 million cruise passengers forecasted. 

·       The number of new-to-cruise passengers is rising each year – 27% of everyone that cruised in 2023 were first-time cruisers!

Alongside the sector’s growth, cruise holidays also command some of the highest commissions in the travel industry and it’s an area where agents are in demand - 73% of cruise travellers say their travel advisor has a meaningful impact on their cruise holiday.

But agents need to be aware of the complexities that often come with booking a cruise: namely the need to be familiar with the hundreds of cruise lines on offer and the thousands of cruise ships available, not to mention the choice of cabin; the choice of package and the choice of itinerary.

On this Seminar at Sea agents are experiencing Virgin Voyages’ “Irresistible Med” itinerary. After departing Barcelona they visited Toulon, next stop Marina di Carrara, Ajaccio and Ibiza. 

During the trip, consultants are attending intensive training workshops delivered by leading cruise experts, plus they are learning hands-on techniques and game-changing strategies to boost their cruise bookings. 

They can also meet Not Just Travel’s brand ambassador Hayley Sparkes, who is sharing presenting techniques and on-screen confidence strategies. 

Says Harrison: “Our Seminar at Sea is always hosted by one of our incredible key trade cruise partners and is our ultimate investment in people; we pay for our consultants to open their eyes to the endless possibilities within the cruise market and the results are incredible.”