Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours

Written By: Joni Rein, Vice President- Sales and Marketing USA, The Scenic Group-Scenic Luxury Cruises, Scenic Eclipse and Emerald Waterways

 

 

Over thirty years ago, I started out in the travel industry and had two things on my mind – how I could find the most unique and amazing vacations for my clients and how I could maximize the commission I earned. Further along in my career, I worked for cruise lines that offered luxury and mainstream experiences, and while all certainly had their clientele niche, it wasn’t until I began my position here at Scenic Luxury Cruises that I found the answers to the questions I asked myself all those years ago.

 

Scenic Luxury Cruises is incredibly unique not only in the overall industry but in the river cruise category because it offers a six-star luxury product that is truly all-inclusive and provides guests with the most immersive onshore experiences throughout the world. This presents discerning, adventurous clientele with an absolutely new experience. And that’s a home run for you as a travel advisor. At the same time, Scenic cruises are completely all-inclusive, providing you maximum commission opportunities. Finally – answers to the two questions I have sought for more than 30 years, and which I know many of you sought as well.

 

Truly All-Inclusive Luxury River Cruising

In my first few months on the job, one of the things that amazed me most was just how excited travel partners were to have the opportunity to sell a truly all inclusive luxury river cruise product. Scenic is innovative for its unique blend of six-star service at an all-inclusive fare. When sailing one of our 16 river ships in Europe and Asia – or our first ocean cruise ship, Scenic Eclipse (coming in 2018) – your clients will enjoy complimentary:

• Exclusive once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the Scenic Enrich program
• Expertly curated shore excursions with Scenic Freechoice
• VIP hosted cocktail events in Europe’s most amazing locations as part of Scenic Sundowners
• Tailor-made GPS devices for self-guided touring and onboard commentary
• Gratuities not only onboard but also for tour guides ashore
• Onboard beverages including spirits, wine and non-alcoholic options. This also includes items in suite refrigerators, which are restocked daily
• Six gourmet dining options onboard ranging from causal to fine fare
• Private butler service
• Housekeeping service, Apple entertainment, laundry service, Internet/Wifi
• Airport transfers to and from the ship

 

Not only does this truly all-inclusive aspect give your clients peace of mind while enjoying their cruise, it ensures that all elements of the cruise you sell are part of your overall commission.

 

Another “peace of mind” element when selling Scenic is our River Cruise Guarantee. This is a first in the river cruise industry and something you’ll only find with Scenic. This guarantee is designed to cover guests for any unforeseen events such as weather, natural disasters, mechanical breakdowns or strikes. Should any of these events occur, your clients will be given a refund in the manner in which they paid for their cruise rather than the industry standard of a future cruise credit.

 

The Best in River Cruising Onboard and Ashore

One of the things I love most about Scenic is how it truly offers the “best of the best” both onboard and ashore. Our innovative Scenic Tailormade devices offer tablet-style independent exploration on the ship so guests may discover the sights they see from various vantage points at their leisure. You won’t find these anywhere else! I also love our exclusive “Sun Lounges” which give travelers the option of enjoying balcony views in any kind of weather – all with the press of a button.

 

Our complimentary Scenic Enrich experiences are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the industry. Your clients will enjoy culturally immersive experiences such as traditional French cabaret under the big-top in Lyon and four-course dinners expertly paired with matched vintages at the Mumm Champagne house in Reims. They can also take part in a gingerbread cooking class in Nuremberg, a guided tour of Bratislava or a Tournon vineyard hike and wine tasting. The unique tailor-made (and complimentary!) activities are seemingly endless.

 

I also invite you to learn more about our Emerald Waterways brand, which provides a more contemporary river cruise offering. Emerald’s fleet will increase from five to seven ships in 2017. With lower price points and less inclusive offerings, Emerald provides your clients another quality and value-filled river cruise option.

 

Scenic Sales: At Your Service

I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I’ve been to join the Scenic team. While I’ve been part of the cruise industry for more than three decades, my move to Scenic feels like “home.” I’m the type of traveler who has long loved luxury cruises. I take a European cruise with my husband every summer and thoughtfully plan each detail. I page through glossy travel magazines each month, making my bucket list for places I want to discover and new immersive experiences I want to enjoy. Given that these factors inspire me in my personal life, my role at Scenic doesn’t feel like a day job – it’s a labor of love. And I know that’s how you’ll feel selling it as well. Our talented team of river cruise experts at Scenic are just as six-star service oriented as our cruises. We want to sit down with you and explore how you can effectively sell and market Scenic from top to bottom and become a “Scenic Specialist.” Our sales and marketing service goals for 2017 include:

• Maximizing your commission opportunities by working with you on developing customized sales and marketing plans
• Creating a Travel Agent Advisory Committee to ensure we’re getting the best feedback we can from you
• Launching a Travel Agent Rewards Program as an added way of showing our appreciation for the work you do
• Investing in improved sales and marketing tools so that your sales experience is seamless
• Offering an enriched FAM program so you can experience the Scenic product yourself

 

We also offer a series of convenient onboard training modules for those of you wishing to discover more on your own time. These trainings will help you learn how to best describe the Scenic experience and how to position our unique six-star product. You’ll also learn how to cultivate potential Scenic clients and best utilize our resources to maximize sales. With agents earning $1,500 for an average Scenic booking and more than $10,000 for others, we think you’ll certainly want to learn more!

 

You may also win an opportunity to enjoy a FREE cruise aboard the new discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse (as well as roundtrip business class air) for every Scenic booking you make between now and April. Learn more at www.scenicusa.com/agent-portal/eclipse-competition.

 

 

My team and I look forward to the opportunity of working with you on becoming a Scenic Specialist. Please contact our sales team to learn more about how you can get started at 857-245-7663 and o email to: info@scenicusa.com.