Ocean cruising

The cruise sector has had plenty of time to prepare for weighing anchor and agents have a vital role to play as it counts down to its long-awaited restart, says

outdoor area and suite concierge for top-paying passengers, will revert to the island-hopping cruises around Greece it built its reputation on, hopefully as early as April.

Celebrity Cruises now includes all drinks, wifi and tips in the fare. Celebrity Silhouette is due to start cruising from Southampton in May. Come autumn, Celebrity Infinity should set out on new voyages around Spain and Portugal from Lisbon.

Luxury line Silversea is going even more inclusive, starting 2022-23, by adding flights and at least one free shore excursion per port to the drinks, wifi and tips already included in its cruise packages. An epic voyage in March 2022 will take in 72 destinations on a journey from Piraeus (Athens) to Stockholm.

When to sell

Summer hopefully still belongs to Europe – the Mediterranean for sun-seekers; the Baltic for history; the Norwegian fjords and Iceland for majestic scenery; round-Britain cruises for top-value staycations. It’s also when expeditions head into Arctic waters.

The South Pacific and Caribbean are great year-round for sun, sand and sea, although itineraries in the West Indies can be disrupted by hurricanes, which blow in between June and November.

Come winter, ships head to the southern hemisphere - South America and Antarctica as well as Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

How to sell

Agents are now even more critical when it comes to selling cruises, says Alex DelamereWhite, P&O Cruises’ Vice-President of Sales and Marketing. Clients will be more cautious when choosing a cruise line, he warns.

“Talk about the future of cruising, not what is happening now,” advises Silversea’s Peter Shanks. MSC Cruises’ UK Managing Director, Antonio Paradiso, notices clients are looking for value. “Cruise lines are offering the best value possible – and also being as flexible as possible – to support agents,” he says.

Don’t neglect the new-to-cruise market, counsels Stephen Winter, Ponant’s International Sales Director, after seeing the line’s summer sailings attract first-timers. “We created a lot of fans,” he says.

Saga Travel CEO Nick Stace says part of the messaging has to be about safety, about giving people peace of mind.

“A cruise will be the safest place from which to see the world,” he promises.

What’s new

Adventurers can get their chills on a voyage to the geographic North Pole next July and August on Ponant’s new icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot.

Hurtigruten plans to launch expedition cruises from Dover in April on Maud, the former Midnatsol, with itineraries visiting villages and islands around the British coast that are rich in flora and fauna.

Come December, Seabourn’s first expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, sails from London on an inaugural ultra-luxury cruise to Norway in search of the Northern Lights.

Silversea is launching SALT, a culinary/ cultural experience that makes its debut in the Mediterranean in April on Silver Moon, a new ship specially designed with a SALT restaurant, bar and kitchen.

New cruise line Tradewind Voyages sets sail from the UK in May on the Golden Horizon, a replica historic tall ship, before following the tradewinds to India and Asia.

An eight-night Spectacular Fjordland Adventure is priced from £1,299pp for July. Passengers will pass glaciers and waterfalls as they sail into the heart of Norway. fredolsencruises.com