Crystal and Virtuoso Travel

[DTO]

Just noticed this press release from Crystal. Our TA’s agency belongs to Virtuoso and is looking into what this may mean for their clients. Does anyone know?

 

Crystal Named Preferred Partner of Global Luxury Travel Group Virtuoso® 

As a preferred provider, Crystal will offer Virtuoso’s travel advisors exceptional experiences at sea that will delight their clients and create lifelong memories. Inclusion in Virtuoso will present new sales and marketing opportunities to the network’s more than 21,000 travel advisors and their highly desirable clientele. Virtuoso agencies worldwide sell an average of (U.S.) $28–$32 billion annually, making the network the most significant player in luxury travel.

“As a leader in the affluent travel category, Virtuoso is an ideal partner for Crystal as we look towards our return to service later this summer,” said A&K Travel Group CEO Cristina Levis. “The reputation Virtuoso member agencies have for outstanding dedication to their clients is a perfect fit with our own bespoke approach to service, and we are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with their advisors and look forward to a long-term relationship.”

[Keith1010]

Usually it means that there will be amenities passed from the cruise line (in this case New Crystal) to Virtuoso who, in turn, passes them onto the agencies which can then be passed to the client for booking a Crystal Cruise. Last month a similar arrangement was announced with Signature.

 

Keith

[bitob]

With Signature there is usually a rep on board (who does nothing at all but gets a free cruise) and holds a cocktail party (no one I know has ever gone).  There is small additional on board credit associated with with the arrangement - I think $100 pp.

 

Both Virtuoso and Signature have relationships with many cruise lines.  My upcoming Seabourn cruise is a Signature event.  In the end, it means very little.

Edited April 13, 2023 by bitob

[DTO]

Thanks for the input.

[Keith1010]

5 hours ago, DTO said:

Thanks for the input.

The good news for all of this is it is a win-win for Crystal, the consortium and the guest.

 

For Crystal it means another way to promote the line to increase bookings.

 

For the guest it means there is usually an amenity for booking with the TA such as an on-board Credit.  My experience was different than mentioned.

 

And it is good for the consortium because the agent can say they can provide you with some added value for booking with them.

The reality is the agency pays the consortium money to be part of the consortium.  The benefit is they can pass along various amenities that the consortium is able to negotiate with travel suppliers including hotels.  And in the case of cruising it is usually the cruise line that provides the amenities to the consortium who, in turn, passes it along to the agency and then from agency to client.

 

Phew.

 

Glad to see this one in place along with Signature's announced a few weeks earlier and hopefully more coming.

 

Keith

[kool kruiser]

It would be great if this could be  extended to our UK TAs !! Our market is a little different as the most frequent incentive offered by TAs is a price reduction, although OBC may also be given. At present very few TAs are including NC and those that do appear to have no incentives at all. Unless I have missed something....

[History&Wine]

My former TA works with a very large travel firm (I think used to be the largest bookers of Crystal) which is a member of Virtuoso. Still no mention of Crystal on their website.

 

Just posting information.    Liking my new TA better than my previous! 

[Joywrk]

On a recent cruise, I attended the Virtuoso cocktail party and it was very nice. Many ship’s officers were there and had an opportunity to chat as a small informal gathering. The amenity was considerably better than $100 and an incentive was also added if you booked on board

[May B]

While our resident nay-sayer isn’t impressed with this news, the LACK of it could be perceived as a cause for concern.

 

Mr B’s boss used to say “money first in case of fire”. You wouldn’t leave $100 in the cash register, to go up in smoke. Just my way of saying, while these agreements have not been instantaneous, upon NC opening up for business, any time a new one is announced is another small piece of good news, imho.

 

I hope the UK will get included soon, too.

[Keith1010]

I wanted to add just like Jpywrk over the years we attended many of the cocktail parties when our former agent was with Signature and enjoyed them. Yes, when inclusive came along less people went but that is true of the Captain and Crystal Society parties. Nevertheless on saplings where they had a lot of people on board it was nice to go and to chat with guests and officers.  

 

It's all good for everyone. A big win-win IMHO.

 

And yes the thread disappeared for a bit and I attributed it to be CC wanting to review it to be sure TA's agencies and names were not mentioned which they were not.

 

Keith

[PaulMCO]

many of the Signature and Virtuoso TA's lost thousands of dollars and will still not support or promote NC on their web sites.

[bitob]

15 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

many of the Signature and Virtuoso TA's lost thousands of dollars and will still not support or promote NC on their web sites.

Might be one reason bookings are not robust 

[Jimmycruiser]

It amazes me how the glass is half empty crowd likes to point out the negatives to those that make positive statements as if we are not smart enough to know the difference. Nobody knows how bookings are going and until they either start heavily discounting to fill openings or actually sail and we know the pax count we will not know. Those that want to believe things are not going smoothly for NC will continue to post even if they do not see how down they are on the NC because of the impact that OC had on them. Just MHO.

[FlyerTalker]

Start by saying that I have ZERO inside information, and do not have the "pipelines" that some posters have.

 

That out of the way -- when I contact my TA for information on a particular sailing in 2024 and get told that he put the last cabin in my preferred category on hold for me, as they were going quickly.  And other cruises of interest are filling up.

 

Now, my TA could be blowing smoke to try to incentivize me to book now.  Or it could be fact.

 

In any case, it's ONE data point, to be taken as nothing more than that.

 

And I will repeat what I wrote months back - any agency that avoids booking NC because of non-payments from OC is just cutting off their nose.

 

 

[History&Wine]

@FlyerTalker said: And I will repeat what I wrote months back - any agency that avoids booking NC because of non-payments from OC is just cutting off their nose.

 

Totally agree.

 

I have investigated using several methods to discern whether New Crystal bookings are robust or poor and come up with conflicting results.  In a very few months we will know...at least for the early sailings.

[Keith1010]

I very much agree with the last three posts.

 

I subscribe to the glass is half full.

 

Just like before some saplings are likely seeking better than others.

 

And in the end if the category you want i sold out that is what is most important.

 

On one of our bookings I would prefer another category and it is sold out.

 

Keith

[Stickman1990]

5 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

That out of the way -- when I contact my TA for information on a particular sailing in 2024 and get told that he put the last cabin in my preferred category on hold for me, as they were going quickly.  And other cruises of interest are filling up.

 

Now, my TA could be blowing smoke to try to incentivize me to book now.  Or it could be fact.

Oh well I guess you will insist on the Crystal Penthouse 😂😂😂

 

My money (but not a lot of it) is on your agent having an optimistic outlook and wanting to get the booking committed - but it will really boil down to the category you’re looking at (and maybe even the preferred location?) as well as the particular sailing - I’m sure there are some sailings that will be fully booked in some categories 

[Keith1010]

If your category is booked thet is what counts.  Often lower priced and higher priced categories go first and all of this varies by cruise.  No different than it always has. No different from pretty much any cruise line we have ever sailed.  Some cruises more popular than others. Let me also add that even if a category is not full, for some within a category there are locations they will not sail in such as someone who gets seasick and doesn't want to be on say Decks 9,10 or on Serenity 11 very far forward or even very far back.

 

Agents also are not the same. I don't bet without knowing the details. If my agent says a category is almost full or the ship is selling well I take its as fact but agents are people and as we all know people vary quite a bit.

 

Finally, things can change at any given time.  NWP was sold out at one point.  By the time the cruise go closer some rooms opened up.  The inaugural voyage on Serenity was pretty sold out.  Makes sense. Some booked it without thinking it all through.  Maybe even to say "I booked it".  In time, either some cancelled completely or moved their booking to something else.  I have been looking at some categories on some selected voyages and frequently one goes from you can get a quote to waitlist and or from waitlist to get a quote.  Either way, this means that the category must be pretty full but it definitely changes for some of these.  And it is not specific to just one category.

 

In the end, the only thing that matters is if it is the cruise you want or the category you want and you can't get it, the demand for the other cruises or the other categories iis pretty irrelevant to that person IMHO.

 

Keith

[bitob]

But not irrelevant to Crystal. They want to sail with full ships and be profitable

[ChatKat in Ca.]

My Travel Agent was very happy to hear from me with my credit card number. (Which was not Amex as they have no more benefit for booking with Crystal).

[Stickman1990]

30 minutes ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:

(Which was not Amex as they have no more benefit for booking with Crystal).

The benefit from AmEx comes when you least expect it - as many found out in early 2022

 

When a supplier defaults then AmEx stands by their customers - unlike Visa and MasterCard who go searching for the fine print 

[Mr Luxury]

6 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

The benefit from AmEx comes when you least expect it - as many found out in early 2022

 

When a supplier defaults then AmEx stands by their customers - unlike Visa and MasterCard who go searching for the fine print 

That's the only benefit that want,not a bottle of Dom Perignon in your suite on arrival because we can all buy a bottle of that anytime we like.

[Keith1010]

In the end all cruise lines want to fill rooms. Same goes for airlines and hotels and sporting event and just about everything.  

 

However, the reality is not all sailing sell out. Sometimes they do but often they are not 100% full.

 

Keys include what guests who sail the new Crystal have to say and what others such as TA's say and bringing on more consortiums which is what they are doing. As they prove themselves I have no doubt that more TA's will come to the fold and as they target guests beyond Crystal Society members this will provide a greater number of people to sell to.

 

The good news is a few months ago Signature and Virtuoso were not signed up.  Now they are. It wasn't that long ago that itineraries were not available and sales not opened.  They are.

 

Sometimes you take baby steps before you run.

 

Time will tell but we are inching closer to the first sailings which is great new IMHO.

 

Keith

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 4/24/2023 at 3:53 AM, Mr Luxury said:

That's the only benefit that want,not a bottle of Dom Perignon in your suite on arrival because we can all buy a bottle of that anytime we like.

You in the 1%.  Thanks for pointing that out.

[Mr Luxury]

11 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You in the 1%.  Thanks for pointing that out.

My pleasure,it is what it is.