This article was first published in Itinerary Planning Special Report 2015
Behind every memorable cruise vacation is a team of experts who are busily working behind the scenes to make sure everything goes to plan – from a smooth disembarkation and having local tourist guides on hand to answer queries, to organising a huge variety of shore excursions. For many passengers, it’s this careful planning and attention to detail that makes the difference between a good experience and a truly fantastic one.
As most port authorities and tourist boards will testify, success comes down to preparation. “We make sure that every call is prepared well in advance,” says Samanta García-Carro de la Colina in the Port Development and Commercial Department at Port of A Coruña in Spain. “The port authority’s website publishes updated information of cruises calls at port in the coming weeks, so local bars, restaurants and shops are aware of the arrival of cruise visitors and can prepare. Banners and welcome signposts decorate the pier and transit zones.”
As Valérie Conan, managing director of the Cruise Department at Le Havre Cruise Club in France, explains, for many, a positive experience starts before the cruise passenger has even arrived at their destination.
“We aim to make cruise passengers feel welcome before they arrive when they request tourism information by e-mail,” she says. “The tourism board is located in the cruise terminal to deliver information to passengers and crew members. Permanent and multilingual staff members are trained to provide services for both passengers and crew members too.”
Passengers arriving in Londonderry, Northern Ireland are greeted by information staff who go onboard to help with enquiries. “Derry and the surrounding region has so much to offer and we make sure passengers are fully equipped with all the information they need to plan their visit,” says Aoife McHale, business and leisure tourism officer at Visit Derry. “Our staff can arrange anything from private taxi tours and lunch reservations to hovercraft experiences and helicopter tours.”
The Port of Koper in Slovenia takes a similar approach. “Together with the local tourist board in Koper, we organise different activities for each and every call,” says Bojan Babič, the port’s cruise terminal director. “We produce a ‘daily news’ brochure to inform passengers what can they do when they visit. It includes a great deal of useful information including a map of Koper, activities for that day, suggested walking tours, a guide to local shopping and attractions, and so on. We dispatch this brochure to the ship on the morning of its arrival or passengers can find it at the information desk. We also offer all our guests free wine and olive oil tasting sessions.”
Raising awareness
Like Koper, Harlingen in the Netherlands is a relative newcomer to the cruise market and, according to policy officer and tourism advisor Anna Venema, this is working in its favour when it comes to distinguishing the port from other destinations.
“We are a new destination so that makes us stand out from what cruise lines have offered before,” she says. “What also makes us special is that our port is located on the Wadden Sea, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cruise ships have to cross the area to reach us – we are in a truly beautiful and unique part of the world.”
Certainly, location plays a critical role in drawing in the crowds, but port authorities and tourism boards also have a key part to play in making passengers aware of exactly what’s on offer for them to see and do.
Hana Harun, communications manager at Sabah Tourism Board, explains that in Sabah, Malaysia, passengers can find themselves exploring the area’s natural beauty within just 10-90 minutes from arrival. “Day excursions include a visit to Kinabalu Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and national park – which is up to 1,700m above sea level and offers stunning views of Mount Kinabalu as well as the surrounding flora and fauna unique to the area.”
According to Annie Chang, the director of cruise at Singapore Tourism Board, in Singapore cruise passengers can immerse themselves in excursions that are culturally authentic and historically enriching. “Take a walk through precincts like Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India and Katong,” she says. “Attend tea appreciation classes in Chinatown, or visit The Intan house museum for a more intimate understanding of the Peranakan culture.”
Globally renowned for its wine, Bordeaux in France seeks to promote its historic areas of interest too. “We communicate a great deal with the industry to show them that not only is our region a must-see place for wine lovers but that it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage City with a very rich cultural and architectural history,” says Laurence Bouchardie, head of the Development and Marketing Department at the Atlantic Port of Bordeaux. “In fact, Bordeaux is the second largest UNESCO classified area in France after Paris.”
A warm welcome
From putting on special performances to offering up local produce, many ports take pride in their welcome to set the right impression for arriving guests. In the Port of Huelva, Spain, disembarking passengers are greeted by the sounds of drummers and traditional Huelva dance displays before being offered the opportunity to sample local wine. Guests arriving in Sabah, Malaysia are welcomed by dancers wearing traditional costumers and presented with garlands. And in the Netherlands, Zeeland Cruise Port arranges a tent on the quay with craft and food stands and a hospitality desk, while singers and dancers dressed in traditional Zeeland clothes perform on the quay.
In Harlingen, the welcome extends beyond the cruise terminal and into the city, where cruise passengers are greeted by locals, who offer them regional delicacies, put on musical performances and extend their shop opening hours. According to Venema, the welcome is different every time a ship arrives, so guests who have visited before will see and experience something new.
Even when things don’t go to plan, many ports have procedures in place to accommodate unscheduled, last-minute calls. “On 24 and 25 December 2013, we received unexpected calls from Holland America Line’s MS Rotterdam and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol due to bad weather conditions,” says Le Havre Cruise Club’s Conan. “We opened the terminal and offered hot chocolate and mulled wine to all the passengers so they could still celebrate this special time of the year.”
Anne-Marie Blum, head of marketing, Ports of Toulon at Var Provence Cruise Club, explains that Toulon welcomes roughly 20 non-scheduled calls per year due to bad weather conditions or social movements in neighbouring ports. “In 2014, this represented a total of 30,000 extra passengers,” she says.
Taking in the sights
Of course, being able to offer guests plenty to see and do once they’re off the ship is always guaranteed to garner positive feedback, and repeat custom.
“Usually, the companies that call once in Bordeaux city centre always come back, itinerary permitting, as we have very high passenger ratings,” says Bouchardie. “The berth is in the heart of the city, passengers have a beautiful view from the ship of the 18th century quays and monuments, and all the luxury shopping as well as department stores, museums and the famous opera house are within an eight-minute walk from the gangway. In fact, most ships call overnight in our Bordeaux city centre terminal (or even for several nights) as there is so much to see and do.”
In Northern Ireland, Visit Derry strives to develop unique shore excursions for cruise passengers. “We know our destination inside out and have placed a real focus on creating ‘experiential’ tour options to meet the ever changing needs of the discerning cruise passenger,” says McHale. “Why listen to an Irish music ‘trad’ session when you can pick up a ‘bodhran’ (Irish drum) and play? Don’t just drink an Irish coffee while you’re here; learn the skilful art of pouring so you can master it at home!”
Sharing expertise
To ensure ongoing customer satisfaction, some ports have set up marketing initiatives and campaigns to educate local businesses and partner with industry stakeholders. In 2013, for example, Toulon and the Var Provence Cruise Club’s marketing and cruise department launched a hospitality label named ‘Cruise Friendly’ to help local partners and storekeepers learn how best to accommodate cruise guests and take full advantage of every ship call. “This year, 91 local partners (70 at Toulon and 21 at La Seyne) agreed to sign this hospitality agreement and give cruise guests a personalised welcome,” says Blum.
The Port Authority of Huelva has created a network with a similar aim. “The Huelva Cruise Network serves as a platform for tourist companies and local businesses to build on our reputation as a high-quality destination for cruise stopovers and offer the best experience for visitors,” says Ana Martín Martín, the port’s cabinet chief and press officer.
Le Havre Cruise Club, meanwhile, has developed the trademark ‘Le Havre, the gateway to Paris’ as part of its efforts raise its profile and position itself as the port to the French capital city. “At the same time, we have diversified our shore excursion offers to attract returning guests,” says Conan. We also meet regularly with the cruise lines and industry stakeholders to meet their ongoing needs.”
Others, such as Singapore, set up special events to share ideas and come up with new services and experiences for cruise passengers. “In November 2014, we held the inaugural Shore Excursion Ideation Workshop where we invited a wide range of cruise professionals to share intimate insights on the cruise industry and passenger needs,” says Chang. “Participants worked together to design unique shore excursions that would appeal to cruise passengers.”
Indeed, continuously developing new activities and shore excursions, and being able to offer up unique experiences is critical to attracting cruise guests and encouraging them to come back time and again. “We work in close partnership with cruise operators and ground handlers to create authentic, memorable and exclusive shore excursions,” says Visit Derry’s McHale. “Our close relationships with tourism providers enable us to create tours that are exclusive to the ship and cannot be accessed by individuals. From our on pier welcome enterttainment to friendly tourist information staff, we strive to make everyone feel like a VIP for the duration of their visit.”