Booking through Cruise Network Easier than going through Cruise Lines
November 22, 2005
I can almost see you saying it: "Sure, of course you're going to say that the cruise booking experience you offer clients is better than the rest. You're trying to make money!" So, okay—you got me. We at Cruise Network are in the business of selling cruises; we depend upon—and greatly appreciate—the business our clients give to us.
However, that doesn't change the fact that booking a cruise through our website or our call center is easier than what you'd find somewhere else. And although it may surprise you, that includes going directly through the cruise lines' websites. In fact, in a recent test of travel industry web sites, only 37% of the 2,000 participants found cruise line websites to be satisfactory (source: NYTimes.com).
What that means is generally, using a website like www.CruiseNetwork.com is going to be a better experience than the cruise lines websites themselves. Bonny Brown, director of Keynote Systems, a company that analyzes e-businesses and which conducted the survey, states, "The sheer number of people who experienced frustration on the cruise line sites was high." Besides having sites that are difficult to navigate, most cruise line websites don't even offer online booking.
Other complaints about the cruise lines' websites that were most often heard from the people in the survey included less than satisfactory online customer service and a hard time finding onboard activities.
But it isn't just the quality of websites that makes the difference. Cruise passengers—especially first timers—can really reap the benefits of working personally with a Cruise Specialist from Cruise Network. The Cruise Specialists with Cruise Network will work closely with their clients, gauging their personalities, likes, and dislikes to find the best cruise ship and itinerary—an attention to personal service that one cannot get if booking a cruise through the cruise lines.
Also, speaking to a representative from Cruise Network gives you the chance to receive special incentives that the cruise lines won't offer—possible stateroom upgrades are just a few of the perks. Besides that, having an agent that you can deal with personally, allows you to ask questions and arrange your entire travel experience in a way that isn't possible over the internet.
Still, the easy-to-use www.CruiseNetwork.com offers enticing features like rewards cards and gift cards, programs to receive credit towards future cruises, tons of descriptions of ports of call and cruise ships, great online customer service, and lots more. (All sort of stuff that the cruise lines' sites don't have.) For those experienced cruises who know exactly what they're looking for, Cruise Network's website is the perfect tool.
Now, please don't get us wrong—just because a person would experience frustration when navigating a cruise line's website doesn't mean they would have a bad cruise experience when on the ship. After all, Cruise Network would sell the product unless it was excellent.
Rather, it's simply that cruise lines have been very reliant on agencies like Cruise Network to book their cruises, and therefore have focused more of their attention on the cruise experience itself rather than the cruise booking process.
It's not as if this news will really surprise the cruise lines; and if you've sailed before, it probably won't surprise you. Since booking a cruise is much more complex than booking a flight, hotel room, or even a resort stay, cruise lines are happy to have cruise travel agencies like Cruise Network to be the intermediary between them and the passengers on their ships. It's a win-win-win situation for everyone.
In fact, to make the cruise booking process through Cruise Network even better, Cruise Network recently updated their website (as you may have noticed). It's more easy-to-use and informative than every before. You'll find the latest news in the cruise industry, detailed descriptions of ports of call, a chance to easily fill out your embarkation forms, and, of course, a totally user-friendly booking engine.
So let the cruise lines treat you like royalty when you get on their ships; let Cruise Network be the one to put you onboard.
