By Les-Lee Roland
Owner of The Package Deal

The cruise lines really know how to market. Not just to the consumer, but to the agents.

Being in the business for over 20 years, I remember how they courted us to sell cruises. We were told how to convince a client that taking a cruise was easier and more enjoyable than booking a land package. We were told how to take a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. One for land and one for a cruise. Then list all the costs for the land package — the basic price, transfers, tips, meals, drinks, entertainment, etc. Then list the costs for a cruise — meals included, entertainment included, and so on. The bottom line would show that the cruise is less costly. Plus, do not forget, unpacking one time.

We all rushed out to sell the cruises, fill these vessels. And at that time, we were just being introduced to the 70,000-ton, 2,400-hundred passenger vessels.

Well, if I had to do the math today, the columns may show different totals. Plus, I know that I spend more time and effort in selling a cruise than a land package with one of the major suppliers.

In fact, I remember the head of a major cruise line stating that they didn't want to deal directly with the public, they wanted travel agents to take the bookings. If a civilian called their reservation in directly, they would offer to turn the booking over to an agent in their area.

Why? Because they found that it takes an average of six hours from start to finish to complete a booking. If a client booked a cruise six months away, they would get phone calls throughout that time to answer questions . That should be the job of the travel agent, to take those calls.

Now, I find that the 6-hour span is probably a little low on many bookings. If clients want a European cruise for example, it may take over six hours. First, I do the research to see which ship and sailing dates will work out the best for them. Some like bigger and newer ships, some want smaller ones, and I call this the Goldilocks theory…to find the one that fits just right. 

It would be so simple if the clients would just take the air and pre- and post-trips with the cruise line. But past cruisers become savvy and want to know the cost difference if we book the air separately. Easy to check on the GDS, but then call the consolidators and check rates. And now some consolidators have lost their contracts for Eastern Europe. OMG, what's happened to my profits on air?

Transfers are another story. Have you checked the cost of private cars or shuttle buses in Rome to the port in Civitavecchia this year? Sure, the train is the most economical, but not suitable for all clients, unless they can handle language problems, lifting the luggage on their own, have the correct currency — and even then, they still may need a taxi from the depot to the ship. How much time spent on this?

The pre- and post-cruise package is always a money maker. What's the cruise line charging — are you serious?? And then, the clock starts ticking as I check out other options. Insurance? Hey, that's the easy part. I have my regular suppliers.

Then comes the question I dread the most — "Les-Lee, can you recommend shore excursions that are less expensive than the ones offered by the cruise line?" At that point, I have to check the many offerings and make a comparison in each port. I always have my select group of suppliers, plus private drivers I have used in the past. So I lay out the options, educating the clients on what they should not miss seeing.

If it's a Baltic cruise, there is an extremely reliable and easy company that provides everything in St Petersburg or even Berlin, DENRUS. They're easy to book, and they pay commissions immediately — with something we rarely see anymore, a handwritten check.

Sometimes, I have a client that has some personal requests. Like the executive who wanted to write off the trip by visiting various car dealers. "Les-Lee, find me a couple of showrooms or factories I can check out while my wife goes shopping." The clock is ticking, ticking, ticking.

What about options on board? Now they can book the spa, the optional dining, and, on those mega ships, the entertainment. Even if they choose to book these on their own, they still have questions for me. "Les-Lee, which shows have you seen, what do you recommend?" They're booked for August, but they call in June to check out the weather report. They call whenever there is the beginning of a storm brewing in the Caribbean to ask if this will affect their flights four weeks in the future.

And the coup d'etat — the online check-in. The boarding passes that we are told are mandatory. (Some cruise lines don't even look at them). I admit that I haven't cut the umbilical cord with many of my clients, they rely on me for doing it all for them. I should invest in STAPLES since I buy so much paper and ink from them. And if it is a group, well, there goes the evening out with my husband!

You can add the meetings to put everything together for them to the time total, as well as the time spent doing the accounting in my computer — monitoring commissions from the cruise line, hotel, air, insurance, tours. Six hours? I don't think so. It's more than that for this itinerary.

Now, let's regroup and go back to the basic land tour — like for example, Insight Vacations. Sure, the air still has to be addressed, but transfers are never a problem. Pre- and post- are easier and their rates are more reasonable than those from the cruise lines — why? And excursions! Ha! It's all spelled out right from the beginning. You know the options, and it's easy to quote the rates. Some companies even pay commissions if we pre-book them. Remember, I said "some."

Somehow, we just don't have to answer nearly as many questions with a land tour. And their documents arrive in envelopes, a novelty.

The only problem is the packing and unpacking. But no formal nights — that's a good trade off.