For some, cruising can be to be a scary journey especially for those who are not keen on spending a lot of time at sea, and wary to hurt their bank accounts as cruising can be expensive, too. But there are those who love it to the extreme that they would even book a few months in advance to secure a spot for some long haul voyage of up to a year or so.
And yes, cruise liners get to have a lot of repeat guests too.
Believe it or not, there are individuals, even couples who book for a year-round cruise year-after-year as they greatly enjoy being at sea. After having done the math, they prefer the all-in perks and services, board, lodging complete with a day in-and-out sumptuous spreads and weekly feasts plus more, instead of owning a house with mortgage or renting a flat with numerous bills to pay as against navigating the world while working remotely with just one catch – that of having a good, reliable and fast wi-fi to connect from all over! All these are a given at the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).
Travel and Trade-wise
Let’s breakdown the cruising fever and its benefits travel and trade-wise.
For now our point of reference is the seasoned and sea-worthy NCL.
Have you ever watched any Viking-inspired movie or telly series? Most noted would be the Chris Hemsworth Marvel Studio-produced “Thor” movie, where he played a Mjolnir-wielding hero aka the God of Thunder as worshipped largely by the Nordic people.
Where it was born
But that’s not the point, what we are driving home here is that the Nordic territories (of Northern Europe and North Atlantic i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Faroe Island, Greenland and Aland) from the Middle Ages and onward, is the birthplace of one of the sturdiest and most sea-worthy vessels even to date, such as the NCL.
It’s a known fact that although Viking ships were light, strong and speedy, they are also made to last their military purpose and long-distance trade exploration and colonization.
Just imagine the tons of weight these vessels can carry between 450-660 lbs. for a medium built Viking ship alone, what more the bigger ones? Feel safe already boarding the NCL?
600% increase
Fast forward, what other profits can be derived from cruising with NCL? With the NCL docking in the Philippines, the country is being reintroduced to both foreign and local travelers as a cruising destination which is a great spring board to start with in nurturing a cruising industry, informed the Rajah Travel Corp (RTC) marketing group.
Trade-wise, RTC said that they have handled a mix of leisure and incentive groups all through-out. “Leisure would be those who plan for their vacation and chooses cruise as their holiday getaway. As for Incentive, companies see cruise as the most convenient and practical way of incentivizing their employees and clients.
"When on board, everything is already accounted for, from accommodation to meals and activities. Logistics are simpler than arranging a land tour incentive program.”
As per volume of travelers taking cruises, the numbers are catching up. From RTC’s production alone comparing 2022 vs 2023, as of June this year, we already went beyond 600 percent increase in cruise sales, reported RTC.
Cruise travelers are still inclined in availing land tour packages. Maybe they still need to warm up to cruising as a way to vacay and more?
MICE players can always consider a cruise as their next venue for Meetings, Incentive, Conferences and Events. Like they can charter the entire ship and do MICE-related activities on board.
Time-Tested Partnership
And we can take note of the 20 years and still going strong partnership between RTC and NCL. The team-up allows Rajah Travel to offer more cruising destinations and experiences to guests. Vice versa, NCL gains wider exposure to their specific target markets within the Rajah Travel’s clientele, stated RTC.
The NCL is sailing from Manila on November 30, 2023 and it will be an advantage for local travelers to take on the cruising experience especially for the first time. The highlights include Manila, Boracay and Palawan.
In the past, the Philippines have been visited by ships that caters mostly to retirees, but with NCL now, known for its contemporary cruising, it’s giving the much awaited family-oriented cruise vibe.
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