SHIPSAHOY: Mary Jean Tully Interview About How Cruise Lines are Upping Their Game in the Luxury Market

Travel agents are feeling fresh optimism for Luxury Cruise travel as modern Cruise lines are competing for the exotic traveller.

Cruising can be one of the best ways to travel, allowing for more activities and destinations in a shorter amount of time. Travel agents are feeling fresh optimism for Luxury Cruise travel as modern Cruise lines are competing for the exotic traveller. They are wealthy, ready to spend and looking for new lavish experiences to share online. Celebrity Cruise Lines are upping their game, adding a high touch of luxury to their new suite class, Edge. Debuting at the end of 2018, the Edge ships will include dining options, butlers and priority services. The luxury expedition market is expected to grow over the next 10 years, including submarines, jets and helicopters to the mix.

Mary Jean Tully, CEO of Tully Luxury Travel in Ontario believes that travel agents will play an integral role in cruise moving forward. She believes that in an upscale market such as luxury cruising, people want to deal with humans when spending their money. Customers are uncomfortable spending large sums of money on the Internet without speaking with someone in person.

Tully believes this role will come full circle, with cruise lines investing more into ships and improving the quality for the customer. Moving forward, Tully believes agents will become more important and necessary, as customers need a liaison to assure them through the cruising process, proactively understand value added features and explain the differences. In a world of online travel, cruise specialization may become the popular choice for travel agencies.

With a rise in investment over the last 12 months across the luxury sector, now may be the most exciting time to take cruising to the next level.

What sort of luxury adventure would you like to see added to these cruise lines?