The Bellevue, Washington-based Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance
(NCMA) is an association of 13 cruise lines that have banded
together to educate travel agents on the value of concentrating on
the sale of specialty cruise products. The association provides
educational programs, seminar content and trade show exposure for
their members and this industry segment. NCMA member lines include
American Cruise Lines, Antarctic Dream Expeditions, Discovery World
Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Galapagos Explorer II (Canodros),
Imperial Majesty Cruises, Imperial River Cruise Lines, Majestic
America Line, Norwegian Coastal Voyage, Orion Expedition Cruises,
Peter Deilmann Cruises, RiverBarge Excursion Lines and Star
Clippers.
TravelAge West recently spoke with Larry Dessler, NCMA’s executive
director:
Q: How important is it for travel agents to find a niche
these days?
A: It’s more important than ever. Times are really different now,
and agents are competing with bigger and more mechanized
distribution systems. I tell agents to find something they love,
and have a true interest in, and make it a specialty. It can be a
destination, or a type of cruise ship, anything really. But, it’s
crucial to be able to serve the market in a unique way. And, with a
product such as niche cruising, the rewards and opportunity for
repeat business can be much greater than with a mass-market
product.
Q: The NCMA has recently gained several new members,
ranging from domestic river cruising to Antarctic and Russia cruise
operators. Do you think the small-ship cruise experience is gaining
in popularity?
A: Absolutely. Smaller ships can provide a unique educational
experience, and the demand is definitely growing. Baby boomers are
looking to come away from their holidays with more than a suntan.
The specialty and niche cruise lines in our organization are a
perfect platform for that.
Q: What should travel agents do if they’re interested in
becoming more of a specialist in the niche cruise
market?
A: I’d direct them to our web site, where they can take
advantage of some new online training programs that will be coming
out soon. It will be much more interactive. They can also seek us
out at trade shows, where they can get to meet some of the
executives from the lines. Some of the member lines, such as
Norwegian Coastal Voyage, also have their own specialist programs.
I really sense a great interest out there in learning more about
niche cruising, based on the number of people that take time to
visit with us at trade shows.
