Spotlight on: CroisiEurope

In conversation with John Fair, the French river cruise line’s new UK Sales Director

Q What

are CroisiEurope’s USPs?

A: We are one of the biggest secrets in river cruise! CrosiEurope has over 50 ships and is the biggest operator in Europe. We do lots of work with tour operators but aren’t as well known amongst the trade.

We’re the only cruise line on the Loire River, France, and run lesser-known river cruises from Seville and Venice. We also offer canal barges in France, six ships on the in-demand Douro and five on Asia’s most popular river, the Mekong.

QWhat

is the vibe on your ships?

A: French flair but an international vibe! Our guests are about 50% French but the crew always speak English. Our cuisine is very much French influenced but with an international twist. We pride ourselves on our food and get a 90% satisfaction score for it. We’re still a family-run company after 46 years, and this shows onboard.

QWho

should cruise with you?

A: CroisiEurope offers broad appeal. The average age for guests is 55-plus but we’re starting to see younger cruisers. We offer great value, with £1,800 the average cruise price. CroisiEurope is an all-inclusive cruise line – from morning to midnight if clients wish. But it’s all about the destination when you cruise with CroisiEurope.

QWhat

can guests expect from a cruise?

A: CroisiEurope doesn’t include excursions because our feedback shows that people don’t want a set number of guided tours. We offer Classic packages, touring the main points of interests in each destination, and Discovery packages, which offer guests more cultural immersion with things like cooking classes.

QHow

important are agents to CroisiEurope?

A: I’ve come onboard to reach out to agents and grow our trade-facing team. We’re planning lots of training and will be travelling all over the UK as well as launching a new module on CLIA’s training programme. There will also be more fam trips – the best way to sell it is to sail it!

QWhat

is in the future?

A: We are seeing a rise in demand, especially for the Douro and French rivers, but long haul is on the up too. We just launched African Dream on Lake Kariba and coming next is Canada’s Great Lakes and Waterways. CroisiEurope is going through a big renovation programme, with many of our Standard Class ships being remodelled as Premium. We’re investing in technology and are the only commercial line sailing year-round on the Elbe because of it. We’ve just reworked our consumer website and a trade version is coming soon.

“CroisiEurope is one of the

biggest secrets in river cruising, offering French flair, an international vibe and excellent quality at a

reasonable price”