Cruise Europe : Know your brands and be honest about what’s on offer

Clare Ward (pictured) is not alone in her plea for ports and destinations to gen up on the different cruise brands before meeting. One thing is for certain: there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all product, and preparation is key. As senior commercial planning manager at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL), Ward is well-placed to comment. Here, she explains to Cruise Europe what could be the best way forward for all concerned.

First of all, did you know that FOCL is 'more like a village than a town'? In other words, 'it's warm and friendly, rather than glitz and glamour'. It makes sense, therefore, that a port extolling the virtues of being able to handle five ships in one day and having a large town nearby will not necessarily be able to offer what FOCL wants to deliver for its passengers.

'I don't think that it is about right or wrong, but it is knowing about what a port or destination is able to deliver, and communicating this in a manner that is relevant to our guests. We may not be right for each other, for many different reasons,' Ward explains.

What frustrates her is that some cruise ports come to a meeting not knowing much about the brand, nor what it is trying to deliver. Ward continues: 'For me, it is about tailoring the conversation and delivering what the brand is asking for.' Her answer to this has been to implement her own system of pre-educating the ports so that they 'know the aspects that are important to us'. That way, even if a port comes with its own agenda, there will still be answers to the questions that she has asked.

On another subject, Ward wants to signal to ports just how important it is to recognise what excessive growth may lead to: 'If you take in more and more ships, in the end you may not be getting the customer that you are looking to attract.' Indeed, it is well-known that companies have chosen to place ships elsewhere in just this sort of scenario.

Ward is also keen to highlight the disconnect that can take place between a port and its city neighbours. 'The smaller ports will say that a ship can get in, but they don't think beyond that, to take into consideration the experience that can be delivered to cruise guests in terms of shore excursions etc.'

For FOCL, which has 'closer' as part of its brand strategy, delivering authentic experiences is vital. Ward comments: 'Lots of tour operators are massively important to us as a business, but some of them just want to sell what they sell, while not giving any real 'authenticity'. In product development, you have to have a range, and cruise brands need to talk to the people in the destination who really know. It is not about being cheap, it is about delivering value. I will buy an excursion if it is right and I can sell it to my guests.'

Ward also warns against the idea that passengers get off FOCL's ships and spend as little as possible: 'Our guests might spend £1,000 [E1,314] on the right tour - but the important thing is that it needs to live up to their expectations.' She believes that most ports now realise that, while the coach tour will always exist, the on-shore guest experience has moved on apace: 'Nowadays, it is not about age, but a state of mind,' she says, although she points out that there is not necessarily the infrastructure in place in some ports and destinations to be able to support the right kinds of tours.

FOCL has always been about selling the destination, rather than the ship. 'We don't have an itinerary, but a set of experiences, and we are working hard to achieve that.'

Ward adds: 'I just think that it is about ports being clear about what they are delivering, and not spoiling it with numbers. It might be fine if the size of the city can take it, but if not and there is not enough capacity, you need to be upfront and honest about it. We still do visit places where we cannot accommodate everyone [although not often], but we make it clear to our guests that they need to book early.'

At the end of the day, Ward concludes: 'If the individual ports and destinations keep talking about what they are good at, then the right brands will visit.'