Margaritaville at Sea is boosting its trade efforts with a dedicated initiative that encompasses new team members, reservation resources and educational materials. In order to develop strategic alliances with the advisor community, Frank Belzer has been newly appointed to the role of senior vice president of sales and partnerships, and several sales managers are also helping agents book cruises on the growing line.
“Building relationships, providing proper training and offering access to our product is critical to establishing productive, long-term partnerships with our friends in the trade industry,” Belzer said. “The resources we’re allocating to this effort are significant. We appreciate the support we’ve received from travel advisors so far, and feel they recognize our commitment to their community.”
Building relationships, providing proper training and offering access to our product is critical to establishing productive, long-term partnerships with our friends in the trade industry.
The company’s expanded travel agent offerings include greater tradeshow attendance, one-on-one meetings and a webinar series showcasing Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the brand’s upcoming ship that will launch from Port Tampa Bay in June. Plus, hosted “Parlay on Paradise” programming is already available on the line’s existing Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, offering agents firsthand experiences, in-person instruction and digital sales tools.
The Margaritaville at Sea booking engine has also been renewed to simplify the registration process and provide new assets for advisors, while a new on-demand booking platform is in development. In the meantime, the cruise line has witnessed a 500% increase in agent registrations since beginning these efforts, according to Belzer.
“We’re playing the long game, and expect our investment will result in long-term support and success,” he added.
Margaritaville at Sea is planning to be a sponsor or vendor at several regional festivals, expos and other community events in Florida, where the cruise line’s sales team and a local advisor will be on hand to make additional reservations.
