Avanti Destinations, a tour operator that specializes in custom international vacations for independent travelers and sells exclusively through travel advisors, has launched a new microsite designed to help cruise specialists book pre- and post-cruise stays in port cities worldwide. The site, accessible at cruise.avantidestinations.com, offers a wide range of options for hotels, sightseeing tours, activities, and transfers in 63 port cities globally.
"Many advisors get started in FIT travel by booking pre- or post-cruise stays in port cities,” said Nate Guilfoyle, director of web services at Avanti, in a press release. “This new microsite has been designed to be particularly accessible and intuitive to use for advisors who book lots of cruises, but who have not yet tried booking pre- and post- with Avanti."
This new microsite has been designed to be particularly accessible and intuitive to use for advisors who book lots of cruises, but who have not yet tried booking pre- and post- with Avanti.
The microsite allows advisors to choose from a variety of accommodations and experiences. For example, in Barcelona, advisors can select from 49 hotels and 37 tours, while Rome offers 31 hotels and 88 tours, and Kyoto provides 26 hotels and 47 tours.
“The primary advantage we offer is a much wider range of options for three-, four- and five-star hotels, sightseeing tours, activities and transfers in 63 port cities around the world compared to what cruise lines offer," Guilfoyle added. "This gives advisors the flexibility to tailor each pre-/post-cruise stay to exactly what their client is looking for. We hope it will also motivate them to come back and book more FIT services with us.”
Guilfoyle further highlighted the flexibility of the new tool.
"With our new microsite, there is no limit to the number of nights or excursions that can be added to a pre- or post-cruise stay,” he said. (However, he noted that there is a two-night minimum for land stays.)
The site guides new users through the registration process and includes a tutorial on its features. Agents can then input cruise details, desired hotel ratings and the number of nights needed. The tool displays recommended hotels with photos and descriptions, followed by tour and transfer options.
Once selections are made, a price is displayed. Advisors can add their agency fee and trip protection, with the agency fee and commission incorporated into the total price shown to clients. The final package shared with clients is interactive, allowing them to view details of the selected accommodations and activities.
This article was generated by AI and based on a press release distributed by Avanti Destinations. It was reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
