25 February 2009

Ã¢â¬ËœOnline user generated content taking over from cruise brochuresÃ¢â¬â¢

Potential cruise passengers go online to do most of their pre-booking research and the brochure is becoming little more than a ‘timetable’.

These are amongst findings of research by P&O Cruises which emerged as part of parent company Carnival UK’s annual Cruise Report.

P&O Cruises’ managing director Nigel Esdale said: "We know there is deep suspicion about brochures and marketing messages with most people now preferring to base their choices on user-generated content on cruise websites.

"Our research tells us that people go online to do most of their pre-booking research so that by the time they get the brochure, they have already decided to book with us and just want to see what is on offer for the destination they want and the time slot they have for their holiday.

"The brochure is becoming almost just a timetable with full grids replaced with just a ‘from/to’ price and reference to our website for the full list of up to date fares."

He added: "The technology is there to provide different website users with separate content and we are working hard to make this happen."

And Esdale admitted that there continued to be perception problem with cruising.

"Every time we do research we get the same message coming through - many people still have the wrong perception of cruising," he said.

"As more people cruise and talk about it to their friends, this problem is diminishing but it still needs a lot of reinforcement from us.

"We need to get the message out that cruising is not claustrophobic, that there is no chance of being bored on board and no truth in any of the other cruising canards which seem to have been with us forever," added Esdale.

"It is easier to convey this now we have the big new ships with their broad choice of activities and entertainment, but we are still one of the few cruise companies running TV advertising.

"While there has been huge growth in newspaper cruise advertising, this tends to be price rather than product-led."

The introduction of P&O Cruises’ largest ship Ventura last April and the first full year’s operation of Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria, combined with strong performances from its other lines, secured 20% growth for Carnival UK brands in 2008, according to the report.

*See linked 2009 Cruise Report stories.

by Phil Davies

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Your Comments (4)

No perhaps about it.

The domain name should be considered the wrapper on the "tin", it is often the first clue for the search engines and potential clients as to the site's content and target audience. Obviously, the sites optimised content needs to be of similar high quality to deliver the maximum return from the domain name investment. Additionally, leisure businesses are waking up to the need for their websites to sell the "experience" rather then just the product (visit Goodwood's horseracing page for a great example of selling the experience). A "successful" website will be much more than just an online brochure, it will have; client reviews, expert recommendations, good imagery (both still & video) and above all, seek to engage with it's audience. I do not think there is any "perhaps" about the $1m purchase of "cruises.co.uk", nor was there in respect of Travelzoo's recent purchase of "fly.com". If the opportunity presents itself to purchase the perfect domain and cash reserves or borrowing allow the opportunity to become a reality, my advice - go for it. Just be sure that what you are buying really is the "perfect" domain name for the product range that you are selling!

By David Oldland, Monday, March 2, 2009
Payment by instalment to help increase sales?

It's great to see some good news, and to see that the Great British holidaymaker still has his/hers priorities sorted....... enjoy a good holiday 1st and worry about house prices second! In many cases there is not really a reduction in income, and for even more of us lucky ones we seem to have even more spare income due to the reductions in mortgage rates. Added to that, there is no point in looking at houses at the moment, so we are left with just one option, which is to holiday. The only issue is a lack of confidence. We don't want to spend out such a huge amount in one go, and we are worried where we will be in a few months when it is time to complete the holiday payment. Credit cards are penalised with surcharges by most agents, and loans are certainly a no no at the moment. How about looking at paying in instalments? If people were offered the chance to pay a set amount per month, with the final payment due at the normal time, then I think that would be a great inducement to book. Even better, make this only available to early bookers (along with discounts). I do a very similar thing to this myself, but it involves me phoning up the agent, and making a part payment. I have to remember to do it myself, and schedule this in. If I had a diect debit or standing order for this to go out on pay day I am sure that I would hardly notice! It's just an idea, but worth a thought? Plus it gives another sales approach!

By Chris Lewis, Thursday, February 26, 2009
Online complements rather than replaces brochures

While it is true that online research has become vital to the choices that we all make, it has not replaced the brochure and I doubt that it ever will. Despite the wealth of information that is available, and the ability to tailor the package to suit our needs, we all still want to clutch a brochure firmly in our hands. It offers a degree of legitamcy to the holiday company that we have choosen and also to our own personal choices. It is almost like a comfort blanket, and is so deeply ingrained in our psyche that I doubt that the brochure will become dead for a few generations yet. Indeed, the brochure has very much become what a brochure should be, in that it shows more of what is available and less so a price list. This has been the way for the car market for many years, with separate price lists and options brochures to help us pin down the details. Perhaps this is the best way forward for the cruise industry. Giving us an in-depth look at each of the cruise ships in one brochure, an options list in another, and then a pricing & itinerary brochure to cap it all off. It would certainly be interesting to see how that worked. I for one would certainly walk away with my clutch of brochures to look through at the details and make my choices, or to congratulate myself on what a great choice I had made!

By Esteban Martinez, Thursday, February 26, 2009
perhaps it was a good idea that we bought www.cruises.co.uk

We bought www.cruises.co.uk for $1m last year and now we have over 4m visitors to our websites which are based around user generated content - so perhaps it was a good idea!!

By sukie rapal, Thursday, February 26, 2009