Themed Cruises Are a Double-Edged Sword for Travel Advisors
Skift Take
Travel advisors who understand their clients’ interests and hobbies will likely find a themed cruise that meets their needs. But it may not be plain sailing since some operators seem to prefer to sell direct — and have the marketing reach to do so.
From Star Trek to disco, French cuisine to yoga, themed cruises seem to be a fast-growing segment of the cruise industry. While a good source of business for travel advisors, themed cruise operators also tend to sell and market directly to consumers, which can be problematic for travel agencies.
A Boom in Bookings
StarVista Live, a division of Direct Holdings Global, which licenses the Time Life brand, has hosted 36,000 passengers on 18 music-themed cruises in the past eight years and is taking bookings for half a dozen more before next April.
According to Mike Jason, StarVista Live's senior vice president of live entertainment, the company charters full ships from cruise lines such as Holland America and Celebrity and then creates “unique entertainment experiences that bring communities of like-minded enthusiasts together.”
The company uses its extensive entertainment industry contacts to produce cruises for fans of country music, soul, disco, '70s rock and the flower power era, among others.
Independent British cruise line Cruise & Maritime Voyages began offering themed cruises on European sailings in 2015, including TV Comedy Legends, and Gardening & Wildlife. Since then, the line has expanded with a range of themed cruises based around music, TV
