Holland America: Personalization and Product

Picture this – you’ve been working for six months straight. Last year you left two full weeks of vacation on the table. You’re overworked, overstressed and in need of a break. Who better than to ease that pain than an experienced travel professional?  Whether you’re new to the travel business or a tenured pro, some might call selling a vacation to that type of customer a “layup.”

We all know it’s not that simple, but the cruise industry is making that layup a bit easier. It’s hard to argue with the breadth of product and quality of experience you get when cruising, and when the at sea experienced is coupled with rich, onshore activities, your customers have the opportunity to have it all.

The Personalization

When it comes to cruise it’s really all about the product and matching the right customer with their personalized experience. I had the good fortune of spending some time with Eva Jenner, vice president of sales at Holland America, while attending CLIA’s Cruise360 and she stressed the importance of personalized experience when selling vacations to your customers.

“Guiding the right customer to the right fit cruise brand is paramount in creating lifelong cruise enthusiasts. As an agent you have to know the brands inside and out, and know what type of customer is the best fit for the product,” says Jenner. 

She told me all about  the Statendam, for example, arriving December 5, 2018 (sister ship to the Koningsdam and around the same capacity), and how it boasts both single and family state rooms with all of the amazing entertainment and public spaces travelers have come to expect from Holland.

The public spaces of Holland’s music-themed queen of cool have been thoughtfully designed by Adam D. Tihani, renowned hospitality design guru, author and recognized leader within the design community. He created the design concepts for the ship through the inspiration of music and musical instruments. And if it’s fine art your customers are lusting after, the Statendam boasts a more than $4 million collection of fine art. Take that, MOMA.

Speaking of a personalized experience, I learned all about Holland America Line’s exclusive Explorations Central (EXC™), which offers insights and tips from location experts, and interactive activities and cultural encounters that make your customers’ journeys more engaging when visiting destinations. EXC’s core mission is to help customers make the most of their onshore experiences. It’s a concierge experience that makes the customer journey that much more complete.  Customers can plan their shore-based itineraries both online prior to their ship experience as well as while onboard the ship. I like my vacations to be easy, so this is something I would definitely take advantage of.

A trend I’ve got my eye on in the industry is that more Americans are looking to collect authentic experiences versus material things, creating great opportunities for travel agents. “As an agent, now is the best time to get into the cruise category,” says Jenner, “and even millennials and young travelers have embraced the travel agent’s expertise and value that they add. The cruise experience offers travelers the perfect vacation. You have the ability to visit so many places on one trip, and you combine the best of onboard experiences with the ability to immerse yourself in local culture.”

The Product

Holland wants agents to know their product inside and out, so they provide a suite of marketing tools that help agents guide their customers through the vacation planning process pre-, during and post-travel. Agents can register to have access to these tools at gohal.com. “We are very committed to helping agents guide their customers through each phase of their trip. From the dream to the memory, Holland is proud to have a tool to help agents communicate effectively with their customers,” Jenner says.

New to selling cruise or new to the business? Holland America has these simple tips for you:

• Get to know the cruise brands and what they stand for and what type of customer is the right fit.
• Immerse yourself in brand education and take the courses to increase your brand knowledge for all cruise product and brands.
• Don’t sell on price; sell on vacation experience based on preferences that you have identified through engaging with your customer or prospective customer.
• Work with your BDM from the various brands to learn the brands, know what they stand for and pair the right brand with the right customer. The right experience paired with the right customer will create customer loyalty every time.

As a brand, Holland America has been making vacation dreams come true for many decades and celebrated their 145^th anniversary on April 18 of this year. “This anniversary is an exciting moment for us. Holland has been committed to a specific type of experience for travelers. We are committed to a classic style of ship providing a smaller, more authentic experience. We are a brand for people who are interested in destination experiences, smaller ships and more access to local culture. We connect people to cultures, and making the world a smaller place,” says Jenner.

The Future

When I asked Jenner what had Holland America most excited about the next 145 years, she responded simply with, “Growth! I am excited about the growth of the cruise industry as a whole. From a capacity standpoint there are so many brands introducing new ships and new concepts. We are all bringing more travelers to the cruise category, and I am excited about what Holland can offer our agents and customers in the future. It’s an exciting moment for us and for the entire industry.”

About the Author

With more than 18 years of business experience in brand marketing, media and sales development, Luke has tackled issues across multiple categories of business including travel, automotive, technology, luxury retail, media, e-Commerce and manufacturing. His breadth of experience across consumer direct, wholesale and e-Commerce distribution channels makes him an effective omni-channel thinker.  Luke currently serves as Managing Director of VAX VacationAccess.