Millennials Have Figured Out the Best Way to Book a Cruise
Cruising has always been a popular way to vacation. But an exciting new trend we’ve been noticing at CloudBlue Travel is an uptick in millennial travelers who’ve been turning to cruising to see the world.
Vacationers in their 20s and 30s are the fastest growing group of cruisers. With the influx of new, younger travelers, cruise lines are being tasked with changing the way they think about providing outstanding service and attractions to fit this new demographic.
We’re seeing cruise lines introduce exciting updates on dining options, live music, and activities — onboard and on shore. From Italian coffee bars to concerts by musicians such as Deadmau5, DJ Khaled, and Post Malone, cruising today is better than ever.
These offerings are only part of why young people are cruising in record numbers. The biggest reason we’re seeing this uptick is because cruising is a mode of travel that gives aspirational globetrotters everything they’re looking for in a dream vacation.
A cruise offers convenient and affordable international travel that makes for unique memories and transformative experiences.
At CloudBlue, we’re experiencing this new industry trend first-hand. More than any other age group, millennials are using cruise travel agents to help them build the vacation of their dreams.
In fact, millennials are using travel agents in record numbers — twice as much as Boomers. Young cruisers have realized the many benefits of working with a cruise travel agent over booking online or using an app: You get a dedicated and experienced vacation planner to customize every aspect of your trip at no extra cost.
For millennials who want their vacation to be a life-changing experience, not just a getaway, a cruise travel agent is the way to go. Here’s why.
1. Helps You Deal with Information Overload
In the age of the internet, most millennial travelers can navigate and research all their cruise vacation options online.
But unlike older generations, millennials understand that what you see isn’t necessarily what you get on the internet. You’ll find endless information about different cruises, ports of call, and pricing on hundreds of websites.
How do you really know who to trust?
Misleading photos, fake reviews, and misinformation can make planning a dream vacation stressful, especially when you’re spending hard-earned money to do it. Even on reputable websites for the cruise lines themselves, it’s hard to get an idea of what the full scope of each cruise is truly like.
Why not turn to someone who has actually been on those cruises to find out the truth? That’s what more and more millennials are doing:
72% of young adult travelers specifically ask their travel agent for advice on where to travel and what to do based on the agent’s expertise. And they’re taking advantage of their travel agent’s intimate knowledge of the world of cruising to verify the details of specific cruise itineraries and deals.
2. It’s a Luxury Service that Comes Free-of-Charge
A personal travel assistant who completely customizes a dream vacation to your specifications sounds like something only rich people could afford, right? Wrong.
A cruise travel agent is just that — and their service comes free of charge. That’s because travel agents get paid in the form of a sales commission from the cruise lines they bring new business to.
There is no one-size-fits-all cruise. Every cruise line and individual ship in each fleet is unique.
Millennials are coming to realize that a cruise travel agent knows the ins and outs of not only each cruise line and ship, but different cabins, ports of call, dining options, shore excursions, and more.
Young adults are using travel agents as a luxury service, one that can hand-craft a dream vacation that suits their travel style and goals.
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Some of the custom luxury services you can expect from a cruise travel agent include:
- Choosing the right itinerary for to suit your interests
- Selecting the best cruise line, ship, and cabin for your budget and preferred travel style
- Confirming dining options and inform cruise lines of any dietary restrictions you may have (including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, and raw)
- Handling any complications from delayed/cancelled flights, medical emergencies, etc.
- Getting access to special promotions for add-on amenities like a free bottle of wine, an onboard spa day, and more
- Assistance in planning extended travel before, within, and after your cruise
3. Saves You Time and Stress
3 out of 4 millennial vacationers use a travel agent because it’s less stressful than trying to book their dream vacation all on their own.
Millennials are working full-time jobs and have busy social lives and hobbies. And increasingly, they’re raising kids of their own.
Cruise travel agents are saving millennials time, which is saving them stress.
Another benefit is since you know your travel agent is getting you the best price on a trip curated to your taste, you won’t have any stress worrying that the trip won’t be worth it. People who use a cruise travel agent say their vacation experience is better than past trips they booked on their own.
4. Plans Pre- and Post-Cruise Travel
Did you know that a cruise travel agent will book more than just your cruise? We also take of every detail of your cruise vacation, including pre- and post-cruise travel.
From booking flights and hotels to shuttles and rental cars, planning a cruise vacation can be a lot of work, no matter how tech-savvy you are. We’re there to make every step of your adventure as easy and simple as possible.
We’ll book your entire trip so you can be sure to have a comfortable, stress-free itinerary.
5. Gets You the Best Deals
Millennials are in on cruising’s best-kept secret: using a cruise travel agent doesn’t cost you a penny!
At CloudBlue Travel, we don’t charge our guests for our services — we get paid by the cruise lines when we bring them new customers.
And since we can get industry-only group rates, we have exclusive access to the best prices available for all cruises, from Viking to Celebrity.
80% of millennials use travel agents for this specific reason. You can search online all you want — a cruise travel agent will always have the best price.
Get Travel Deals for the Dream Vacation You Never Thought You Could Afford
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Ready to join other young adults on the dream vacation you never thought you could afford? A cruise is the safest and most affordable way to explore the world, and with CloudBlue Travel, you can start your journey today.
The first step in your trip is to find the best travel deals. We’ve got them.
Get personalized cruise travel deals here »
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