A travel agent says booking three generations from one family onto a round-the-world cruise will ‘live long in the memory’.
Ocean World Travel Senior Travel Advisor Kerry Stewart made the £90,000 booking, a 106-night Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ sailing on its Bolette ship departing from Southampton on 6 January, four days after the parents first rang the agency with their enquiry.
Kerry (pictured) said the parents spent a few days ‘umming and ahhing’ about whether to make the booking and were not aware how popular world cruises were.
Even though the parents and the grandparents had booked cruise holidays with Ocean World Travel, in Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, before, they had never taken their twin children with them, Kerry said.
The twins – a boy and a girl – will be 17 when the sailing departs Southampton and have never cruised before.
Bolette will first head to Portugal before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and going around South America before sailing to Australia, South Africa and then returning north to Southampton via the Canary Islands.
“The dad made quite a loose enquiry initially. I don’t think he realised how limited the availability is for world cruises,” she said.
“I’ve booked 10 round-the-world sailings, but I’ve never booked more than one cabin at once.
“This time I had to book three cabins – one for the grandparents, one for the mother and daughter and one for the father and son.
“I think what helped me make the booking was the sailing was the only opportunity the grandparents, parents and children had to cruise together. It’s a booking that will live long in the memory.
“I like to think I had a role to play in getting the booking over the line. I played on the fact that it was three generations cruising together. I was sharing their excitement. I kind of geared it up a bit like all salespeople do.”
Kerry said she recommended Fred Olsen to the family because of her own previous experience on the line’s ships.
“I wouldn’t say that I was in the age bracket for Fred Olsen but I’ve cruised with them a couple of times and I loved it,” she said.
Kerry added that she gets ‘goosebumps’ just thinking about going on a world cruise because of the length of time away from home.
She added: “I think Fred Olsen were quite shocked that I was booking a family of six on a world cruise, but they were buzzing about it.”
Kerry, who has spent 23 years in the travel industry, including six years at Ocean World Travel, said the booking in April was her biggest-ever but she hopes to do many more bumper sales going forward.
She said the commission will be split between her and Ocean World Travel.
“My commission share will probably pay for a weekend away in the UK,” she said. “I’ve got two children – an 18-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son.”
She praised Fred Olsen for helping with the booking. “We’ve got a great relationship with all of the Fred Olsen sales team,” added Kerry.
“They recognise our phone numbers when we call up.”
Read more: Agent makes £5k of bookings while 38,000ft in the air
The post Agent lands £90k three-generation world cruise booking appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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Ocean World Travel Senior Travel Advisor Kerry Stewart made the £90,000 booking, a 106-night Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ sailing on its Bolette ship departing from Southampton on 6 January, four days after the parents first rang the agency with their enquiry.
Kerry (pictured) said the parents spent a few days ‘umming and ahhing’ about whether to make the booking and were not aware how popular world cruises were.
Even though the parents and the grandparents had booked cruise holidays with Ocean World Travel, in Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, before, they had never taken their twin children with them, Kerry said.
The twins – a boy and a girl – will be 17 when the sailing departs Southampton and have never cruised before.
Bolette will first head to Portugal before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and going around South America before sailing to Australia, South Africa and then returning north to Southampton via the Canary Islands.
“The dad made quite a loose enquiry initially. I don’t think he realised how limited the availability is for world cruises,” she said.
“I’ve booked 10 round-the-world sailings, but I’ve never booked more than one cabin at once.
“This time I had to book three cabins – one for the grandparents, one for the mother and daughter and one for the father and son.
“I think what helped me make the booking was the sailing was the only opportunity the grandparents, parents and children had to cruise together. It’s a booking that will live long in the memory.
“I like to think I had a role to play in getting the booking over the line. I played on the fact that it was three generations cruising together. I was sharing their excitement. I kind of geared it up a bit like all salespeople do.”
Kerry said she recommended Fred Olsen to the family because of her own previous experience on the line’s ships.
“I wouldn’t say that I was in the age bracket for Fred Olsen but I’ve cruised with them a couple of times and I loved it,” she said.
Kerry added that she gets ‘goosebumps’ just thinking about going on a world cruise because of the length of time away from home.
She added: “I think Fred Olsen were quite shocked that I was booking a family of six on a world cruise, but they were buzzing about it.”
Kerry, who has spent 23 years in the travel industry, including six years at Ocean World Travel, said the booking in April was her biggest-ever but she hopes to do many more bumper sales going forward.
She said the commission will be split between her and Ocean World Travel.
“My commission share will probably pay for a weekend away in the UK,” she said. “I’ve got two children – an 18-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son.”
She praised Fred Olsen for helping with the booking. “We’ve got a great relationship with all of the Fred Olsen sales team,” added Kerry.
“They recognise our phone numbers when we call up.”
Read more: Agent makes £5k of bookings while 38,000ft in the air
The post Agent lands £90k three-generation world cruise booking appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
