Margaritaville at Sea Launches Dedicated Trade Program

Under the direction of a newly appointed senior vice president of sales and partnerships, Margaritaville at Sea is launching an all-new trade program that features dedicated staff, booking resources, and educational materials.

"Building relationships, providing proper training, and offering access to our product is critical to establishing productive, long-term partnerships with our friends in the trade industry, said Frank Belzer, the new SVP.  "The resources we're allocating to this effort are significant. We appreciate the support we've received from travel advisors so far, and feel they recognize our commitment to their community."

As part of the new program, Margaritaville at Sea has created a team of sales managers to help advisors, and is building an all-new digital platform to ensure a quick and efficient reservation process. While the new platform is being built, the cruise line has refreshed its current booking engine to simplify the registration process and provide new assets for advisors.

The cruise line has also launched a series of webinars showcasing various elements of the Islander, the cruise line's newest ships, which sets sail form Port Tampa Bay in June on the line's first four- and five-night sailings. Another education offering includes the hosted "Parlay on Paradise" programming onboard Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, where first-hand experiences complement instruction and digital sales tools.

Local Florida travel advisors are getting extra support. At each festival, expo, or other community event that Margaritaville at Sea sponsors or attends, the sales team will be joined by a local travel advisor who will be on site to book reservations for interested travelers directly.

According to Belzer, Margaritaville at Sea has seen a 500% increase in advisor registrations since the cruise line's outreach began.

"We're playing the long game and expect our investment will result in long-term support and success," he said.

Source: Travel Market Report | Photo: Margaritaville at Sea