This document discusses who buys cruises and how to become a successful cruise sales agent. It identifies the six main segments that purchase cruises, ranging from restless and enthusiastic baby boomers to luxury cruisers and ship buffs. It then outlines the nine key steps to becoming a certified cruise agent, including evaluating your passion for cruising, gaining sales experience, demonstrating strong customer service skills, and working on commission only.

1. Selling and Pricing Cruises
Who sells cruises?

2. Who buys cruises?
1. Restless Baby Boomers- The largest segment
cruisers (33%).They are in their early 40s and
early 50s.

3. Who buys cruises?
2. Enthusiastic Baby Boomers- the second
largest category of current cruisers (20%).
They are in their early 40’s.

4. Who buys cruises?
3. Consummate Shoppers- represent today’s
cruisers (16%).They are age 55 and over, well-
traveled and like fine dining available on board
cruise ships.

5. Who buys cruises?
4. Luxury Cruisers- They are average 52 years
old. They cultured, well educated,
experienced and active. (14% of current
cruisers.)

6. Who buys cruises?
5. Explorers- are small but influential segment
of the cruise market. They see a cruise as a
vehicle for discovering the world. (11%)

7. Who buys cruises?
6. Ship Buffs- The oldest and the smallest
segment (6%). They like longer cruises and are
flexible in their cruise choices.

8. THE CRUISE SALES PROCESS

9. SELLING SKILLS

10. 1. Evaluate your passion for cruising
In order to become an agent for cruises
and to be successful at it, you must really love
cruises.

11. .
2. Get to know cruise destinations
and different excursions, opportunities offered by the
major cruise lines
Study itineraries, cruise ship amenities and on board
entertainment.

12. 3. Gain sales experience
Successful cruise agents have experience
selling other types of products and services.

13. 4. Demonstrate great customer
service skills.
Customers will need you to help them
book their dream vacations. You will need to
be able to communicate with and help many
different types of people.

14. 5. Work in the travel business in
other capacities.
Experience working in hotels, resorts,
travel agencies and other vacation
destinations will help you become a good
cruise agent.

15. 6. Take training classes.
Check out websites advertising for cruise agents.
Several travel agencies are looking for agents online
who can work from home to sell cruises.
CruiseMagic.com and others will train you on how to
sell cruises, and then allow you to build your own
business doing so.

16. 7. Become a certified cruise agent
Take the required online classes, seminars
and exams to complete the credits you need
for certification.

17. 8. Use your certification and training to get a job
with a travel agency, cruise line, or to work for
yourself as an agent.
Work for a cruise line in one of their call centers, or
as a sales manager. Instead of generating your own
leads as a cruise agent, you will take calls and
inquiries from customers and help them book their
cruises with the specific cruise line you support.

18. 9. Expect to work on commission.
Cruise agents only make money when they sell
cruises.