Visiting Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ chief sales officer Steve Odell says the cruise line offers agents a compelling opportunity to tap into the growing luxury travel market.
Speaking in Auckland this week, Odell says luxury is ‘really growing’ in the New Zealand market, and for agents he says it offers ‘a very big earning opportunity’.
And it’s not just all about the commission. Odell says luxury travellers, are the most resilient of clients. “There are always cycles of demand with travel but people who are buying luxury cruise experiences, they can weather economic and political situations pretty well; there’s always demand in this type of market.”
Alongside more demand, Odell says luxury clients offer agents the chance to get bookings on the books long-term. “We’re selling up to 2027 at the moment,” he says. “People are really planning ahead.”
RSSC’s 2028 World Cruise goes on sale next month, and local interest is expected given the number of Kiwis onboard the 2025 World Cruise which arrived in Auckland on Wed.
Odell also notes that bookings for newest ship, Seven Seas Prestige, will go on sale in May ahead of her 2026 debut; and the cruise line’s new season launch will come in Jul, both expected to see demand from past customers of which Odell says they have a lot of New Zealand. “These are big selling opportunities,” he says.
. . . Why RSSC
Odell says Kiwis are partial to RSSC’s truly all-inclusive nature, with fares including shore excursions. “For Kiwis who are looking for value for money, this is the opportunity.”
But the cruise line is also committed to supporting the trade, via its local sales manager Tracey Brennan, with fares exclusively for the Australasian market, and training. “We will educate, we will provide the promotions, we will provide co-operative marketing,” Odell says. “…we really appreciate the work of travel agents and the support we get.”
