This article was first published in Itinerary Planning Special Report 2015
Planning cruise itineraries is no easy feat. Cruise lines must consider various factors to ensure that voyages will be operationally feasible, commercially viable, safe and popular with guests.
Holland America Line (HAL), which has 15 ships that sail to numerous destinations in many regions around the world, adopts a holistic approach. “We consider potential fuel and operational costs; port fees and taxes; emission and ship speed requirements; past and predicted ticket yields for each itinerary; expected shore excursion revenue; and the previous ratings our guests gave ports,” says Simon Douwes, the line’s senior director of deployment and itinerary planning. “As we only have small- and medium-sized ships, high port costs are a bigger issue for us than for operators with very large ships. We discuss this regularly with all of our potential ports of call.”
Famous for its extended port stays, overnights, exclusive night tours and branded ‘Destination Immersion’ itineraries, Azamara Club Cruises aims to deploy its boutique ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, in some of the world’s most popular and unusual destinations.
“Our research indicates that guests prioritise the destination experience when choosing a cruise, so we aim to provide them with as much time as possible to fully explore each destination,” says Mike Pawlus, the line’s director of strategic itinerary and destination planning. “Guests gravitate to itineraries featuring renowned marquee ports so we always include these to ensure they sell, but we also add smaller and newer ports to offer hidden gems that will exceed expectations. Our ships are in port an average of 12 hours – much longer than the usual eight hours offered by other lines.”
Luxury line Crystal Cruises, which operates Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, also looks to combine various types of ports on its voyages.
“You can never create the ‘perfect’ itinerary, but we strive to offer the most unique, varied and immersive destinations that combine visits to renowned attractions, and exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will cater to all tastes,” comments John Stoll, the line’s vice president of Land Programs and Crystal Boutique Adventure Shore Excursions. “Guests don’t want to do something 50 million other people have done, so we can customise excursions for different-sized groups, or offer maps and even a private chauffeur for guests who want to explore independently. We want to offer guests the chance to do everything they have always wanted to do, plus things they didn’t even know existed.”
While all three operators favour port-intensive cruises, they are careful to ensure that these itineraries fully immerse guests in the destination and are not just a way to simply check places off their list of must-see destinations.
Azamara works with port authorities, destination partners and tour operators to develop bespoke, complimentary ‘AzAmazing Evenings’, which are available on every voyage lasting more than seven nights, except transatlantic crossings. This year, AzAmazing Evening options include a visit to Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in Bangkok for an enactment of Loi Krathong (Festival of Lights), an opera performance at the 17th-century Castello di San Marco in Sicily, and more.
“Previously, everyone offered the same basic tours, but Azamara’s guests don’t want a three-hour city tour; they want to do something extraordinary,” says Pawlus. “Our exclusive AzAmazing Evenings, Insider Access, Nights & Cool Places, and Cruise Global, Eat Local programmes offer various personalised adventures that fully immerse our guests in local culture. We constantly challenge our ground operators to be more innovative when planning shore excursions.”
Meanwhile, HAL develops themed cruises, such as the ‘Sip, Savor and Sail’ itineraries that enable guests to visit various culinary hotspots in the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska, and enjoy onboard classes led by guest chefs, vintners and brewmasters. It also offers Land+Sea Journeys, which combine a three- to seven-night cruise with an overland adventure that includes a one-, two- or three-night stay at Denali National Park in Alaska.
“As we promote HAL as a destination-driven cruise line, we can’t simply offer the same itineraries every year, so we work hard to find new homeports, ports of call, themed onshore activities, and to form new partnerships with local attractions to keep our cruises fresh and exciting, particularly for our repeat guests,” says Douwes. “Our newbuild Koningsdam will join seven ships to boost capacity in Northern Europe next spring and allow us to offer more longer Caribbean voyages next winter. Six of our ships will sail 11 full Panama Canal transits next summer, while others will make calls in Myanmar, Indonesia, and numerous destinations in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. Our Alaska and Canada New England cruises also remain iconic.”
Planning port calls to coincide with local festivals and special events is also popular, particularly with Azamara. “We routinely meet with port authorities and destination associations to find ways to maximise the guest experience,” says Pawlus. “Last Christmas, we arranged for Azamara Quest’s passengers to visit an orangutan sanctuary and trek Kinabalu National Park in Borneo, before heading to Hong Kong to watch the New Year’s Eve laser show. We also visit the Monaco Grand Prix annually, and this February our guests joined the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.”
Crystal aims to take guests to the right place at the right time. “We may coincide port calls with an international sports competition, or an annual event such as the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and Crystal Symphony will spend this New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janerio,” says Stoll. “Many of the 57 voyages we’re offering in 2017 have been designed around global events, such as Sweden’s Midsummer celebration, Oman’s Independence Day and the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland.”
Stoll notes that Crystal has taken destination immersion a step further by expanding its onshore ‘You Care, We Care’ volunteering programme, enabling guests to participate in 16 humanitarian and conservation activities in 2015.
“Whether they are helping at a food bank in British Columbia, working at a marine rehabilitation centre in Spain, or visiting an SOS Children’s Village in Costa Rica, guests can make a worthwhile contribution to a good cause,” says Stoll. “Volunteering also provides an authentic cultural education, allowing guests to feel more connected to both the people they are helping and the destination itself – they get a completely different perspective of local life than if they were to simply visit the museum and a café.”
With more customers than ever calling for itineraries that offer a whole lot more than visits to the usual major ports, generic city tours and so on, cruise lines must find new ways to help their guests experience a destination in a way that’s most meaningful to them.
“Guests don’t mind paying more or travelling a bit further if they know you can offer them a more intimate and personalised experience where they can interact with local people, native wildlife and fully embrace the cultural heritage of the destinations they visit,” says Stoll. “Our job as itinerary planners is to offer them multiple ways to do that.”