A world cruise is a bucket list experience for travelers. These multi-month journeys take adventurers to dozens of destinations around the globe, all while offering the luxury and convenience of unpacking just once. And for travel advisors, a world cruise represents something extraordinary — a high-value booking and a substantial commission, along with an opportunity to deepen long-term relationships with affluent clients.
Booking a world cruise isn’t like selling a weeklong jaunt through the Caribbean, though. These once-in-a-lifetime voyages require a strategic approach to marketing, meticulous planning and ongoing client care to ensure a seamless experience from embarkation to return. Here’s how to navigate those complexities and position yourself as a trusted expert in this growing niche.
Who’s Booking World Cruises?
While your affluent clients can afford to take a world cruise, the real challenge isn’t the often six-figure price tag — it’s the time commitment. Leaving behind work, family or other responsibilities for three to four months isn’t in the cards for everyone. Understanding who has the flexibility to step away from their daily routines for an extended period can help you identify ideal clients for a world cruise.
“Traditionally, world cruises or grand voyages have attracted affluent retirees, many of them seasoned travelers, who enjoy the luxury and extended duration of these voyages,” explained Katina Athanasiou, senior vice president of sales and services for the Americas at Celebrity Cruises.
Learn more about Celebrity Cruises on VAX VacationAccess
Retirees aren’t the only ones you’ll find on world cruises, though. The rise of remote work has opened up this bucket-list experience to a new group of travelers: those who have the flexibility to work from anywhere.
“On our next world cruise, we have quite a few digital nomads who have taken us up on our ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi and ability to have multiple devices connected at once,” said Matias Lira, senior vice president of trade sales for the Americas, U.K., Europe, Middle East and Africa at Crystal.
Lira has noticed that groups of multi-generational travelers have caught onto the world cruise craze, too.
“We see a lot of high-net-worth families who prioritize home learning for their children, bringing them on board to continue their studies while traveling,” he said.
Previous cruising experience can also determine whether someone would be a fit for a world cruise. After all, they involve a lot of days at sea, so clients need a firsthand understanding of what they’re getting into before they feel confident booking a more epic voyage.
“You’re not going to get anyone on their first cruise who says they want to be on a ship for 120 days,” explained Bob Zweig, travel advisor and a Cruise Planners independent franchise owner, who has booked around 20 world cruises for clients. “Usually, it’s people who have done a significant amount of cruising. They know what it is, they like it and they don’t mind the sea days.”
How to Pitch and Sell a World Cruise
Timing is everything when it comes to selling world cruises. They’re typically announced two years in advance, and while that may seem like a long runway, it’s important to start the sales process as early as possible.
“It’s not a traditional seven-, 10-, or 12-day cruise — you’re talking about a 140-day cruise, and it takes a lot of planning,” Lira said.
He recommended dropping hints to target clients early and often, so they have time to consider the big-ticket voyage and make arrangements to spend months at sea. You should also educate yourself on the different offerings on various cruise lines so you can match clients to the best voyage for their travel style and budget.
“There are a lot of variations in itineraries, inclusions, pricing and value,” Lira said. “With a world cruise, you have to select the right one for your client. It’s not a seven-day mistake if you book the wrong cruise; they’re on the ship for a long time.”
For his part, Zweig lets the cruise lines themselves take care of the early marketing and waits for clients to approach him when they’re interested in a world cruise.
“The cruise lines do a good job of reaching out to my customers whenever they announce a world cruise,” he said. “They give you early incentives, like onboard credit, free drinks and gratuities included, and they always include the tag line ‘contact your travel advisor.’”
The key to closing the deal is to sweeten the offering, at least a little bit. The large commission you can earn from a world cruise can give you some wiggle room to incentivize the client to book with you.
“I give some of that commission back in the form of an onboard credit they can use for short excursions. My deal will always be better than what the cruise line offers,” Zweig said.
World cruises can sell out, leaving clients disappointed if they don’t book in time. If a client is considering an upcoming world cruise but hasn’t committed yet, keep an eye on whether the cruise line begins releasing segments of the journey for sale.
“Once they start selling segments, they can’t sell the whole world cruise, since those staterooms would be taken. How soon they’re opening up segments can give you a feel for how close they are to selling out of spots for the world cruise,” Zweig said.
And it might just be the push you need to get a client to take the plunge.
Preparing Clients for Smooth Sailing at Sea
Once your clients book their world cruise, your job becomes making their experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible. There’s a lot of planning ahead of a 140-day trip that takes you to dozens of countries. Travel advisors play an important role in setting clients up for smooth sailing.
“You have to hold their hand through the whole process and everything that’s required, including visas,” Zweig said.
Stay in close communication with the cruise line about which visas are required and any other regulations or required paperwork.
Beyond logistics, there’s also planning for accommodations. You’ll want to help clients choose the right stateroom based on their preferences for space, amenities and proximity to key areas of the ship, since they’ll be on board for such a long time. They’ll also appreciate it if you help them make high-end restaurant reservations for any special occasions they may celebrate during their months at sea (like an anniversary or birthday), as well as activities to make sea days more interesting.
“Those days at sea are the perfect time to take advantage of the spa. We recommend the travel advisor book those 90- and 120-minute spa treatments early because those are the most popular services,” Lira said.
Don’t forget to get them ready for the destinations, too. Travel advisors should provide experiential information on where clients are going and tips for packing for multiple climates, Athanasiou said.
Once they’re on board, the staff on the ship takes over the rest of the experience, but there’s nothing wrong with checking in on your client from time to time.
“Doing temperature checks throughout the voyage about what they’re enjoying most helps keep the travel advisor in tune with developments at the cruise line,” Lira said.
Cashing In on World Cruise Bookings
Helping clients get ready for a world cruise is a big lift that not only comes with a large commission, but also opportunities for additional bookings.
“We see a lot of our older clientele on world cruises invite their family on select segments,” Lira said. “If they’re missing kids or grandkids, they’ll bring them on for 14-day segments.”
“You can expand your territory by asking your world cruise clients whether they have any friends or family who would like to join you for the cruise,” he added.
It’s also the chance for you to flex your muscles as an experienced travel advisor who has what it takes to bring bucket-list experiences to life. That can go a long way toward helping you earn a glowing testimonial, repeat business and all-important referrals for a new business. In the end, booking a world cruise isn’t only about one big sale; it’s about creating lifelong clients and turning that one trip into a gateway for many more.
Originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of The Compass magazine
Joni Sweet
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