A Cruise Booking Engine Needs Options

The way that travel is researched and booked continues to change as technology evolves.  To succeed in the travel business today, you need to make sure your business keeps pace.  Recent advances in technology can probably help you streamline your business and possibly tap into new revenue streams. The cruise industry has experienced the most explosive growth the over the past few decades and the increasing popularity of cruising worldwide has made selling cruise vacations an important part of any travel business selling leisure travel.

A good Cruise booking engine can provide users with live connectivity with cruise lines for the latest availability and pricing as well as detailed ship and cabin information connected to media rich content including interactive deck plans to assist in selecting the right cabin for a specific customer’s preference or needs.  These online booking engines can include a vast amount of cruise line information to assist in the shopping process.  Live access to cruise line supplier content also ensures the most up to date availability and pricing is used.

There are also a variety of cruise related product options for your business.  Today’s innovative cruise booking engine can go way beyond just completing a cruise booking.  Critical components that are sometimes used with the booking engine like a cruise data cache which is ideal for those looking for the latest updates on cruise line pricing and sailing availability in a standardized file format.  For those looking just for detailed descriptions and images to assist during the research process, cruise line static content can be accessed for a fee.  This content includes detailed descriptions of cruise lines, cruise ships, cabin categories as well as itinerary information.  Descriptions are linked to media files & rich content such as cabin photos, ship images and deck plans.  The cruise line static content is typically fully integrated with the cruise booking engine or sometimes it can be purchased separately.

Today’s cruise booking software features allow a business owner to easily adjust a product’s selling price by defining their own markup, discount, value add offers and more. In addition to the basic functions such as markup and discount, today’s cruise booking engine can incorporate custom rule types such as fixed cruise deposit amount, master promotions and agent commissions.  Business owners can even define additional filters to define the specific type of booking or selling channel they want to apply a specific business rule to.   The wide variety of rule filters that can be defined include the ability to define a rule for a specific website, supplier, travel dates, destination and more.  These powerful business rule features allow price adjustments or offer to even be defined according to the day week and time of day a booking is made.  Newly added or modified rules are usually applied almost instantly, ensuring the best deals are offered and your offering competitive in today’s crowded marketplace.

Finding the right cruise booking engine for your travel business is important, finding the right travel technology partner can be even more important.

Cruise Booking Software is Best Localized

With the entire cruise booking software available in the market today, how do you identify the best solution to help your online travel business succeed?  For example, many quickly learn that there is more than language and currency capabilities to consider when choosing the right technology solution to expand your travel business internationally.

There are often local market requirements that need to be properly addressed before an application can be successfully introduced into a new market.  There can be huge differences between developing a product so that it is generic enough to work across markets versus “localizing” a product.  Just as the languages and currencies used may vary in different countries, the regulations regarding consumers and the disclosure of information during the selling process may be different.   Your technology needs to be flexible enough to handle these market distinctions.

Cruise booking software that manages fast, live connections with the relevant cruise supplier content is an important key element for online success.  This is a good example of when “global” content sources may not be applicable to the local market, requiring integration of “local” content sources to provide the products customers are looking for in that specific market. The technology you choose needs the flexibility to easily integrate the right combination of global and local content so that you are offering the products customers in that market are looking for.

The cruise booking software you choose should also include the ability to define flexible business rules that allow you to adjust how a product is offered based on your business. Some travel agents may want to offer a discount to customers who book their travel arrangements using the agency’s online booking tool as a way to encourage the use of this cost-effective channel.  While others may look to offer a lower price on a specific preferred Supplier they work closely with.  The main thing you’ll want to consider is you will need flexibility in defining how and when specific price adjustments apply.

And since today’s consumers have more options available to them than ever before, you will want targeted messages and custom offers as part of your marketing tools.  Access to an online travel booking engine that quickly and easily defines special offers can be a critical tool when you are looking to easily highlight where the best deals are or a specific offer can be found.

Today’s cruise booking software needs to provide the ability to quickly respond to competitive threats, identify market trends and easily include special offers you want to highlight. Consider a solution with robust reporting tools that can help you keep track of important information about your bookings as well as isolate search statistics to know what customers are searching for and identify potential product gaps or pricing issues.

This type of information can be a powerful tool when analyzing or making adjustments to your business plan.

Finding the right technology solution for your travel business is important, finding a technology partner who understands the need to localize product can be even more important.

Cruise Booking Solutions Have Options

The cruise booking solutions that are available in the market today are the result of years of technological improvement.  As the travel industry scrambled to move sales to online channels, the complexity of selling a cruise brought unique challenges.  The initial online cruise booking engines launched in the market had limitations not only with functionality but with the ability for a cruise line to differentiate their brand in the crowded marketplace as well.  These applications have evolved over the years and have been driving the force behind the increasing sale of cruises online today.

Today’s cruise booking engine can provide live access to cruise content and provide Users with the most up to date content, availability and pricing. However, the support for modification of cruise bookings can vary by cruise line and can further vary by booking status, fare code and sailing. The modify options available in today’s cruise booking solutions can vary by feature and most modify options are only available to a “logged in” agent User and typically not a consumers using online cruise booking solutions. Fare code, cabin category or actual cabin/stateroom, dining options and guest details are all booking elements where modifications are commonly supported.  Many of today’s cruise booking engines even makes it easy for a User to review booking activity by maintaining a detailed history.

Cruise lines have turned ships into destinations in their own right, so today’s cruise booking software requires the integration of detailed photo galleries, deck plans and even videos to highlight their distinct features and amenities.  Cruise line, cruise ship and cabin descriptions need to be part of the cruise online booking system and linked to media files & rich content such as cabin photos, ship images and deck plans to assist Users during the research, shopping, and booking process.

And with so many competitors offering so many deals, cruise booking solutions need to provide an easy and efficient way for you to manage the various special pricing or value add offers for a business to remain competitive.  The travel technology solution you choose should include the ability to easily define pre-set business rules so you can manage specific products’ selling price and include any value add the offer you may have.   To reach today’s mobile consumer, you’ll want a mobile-ready online application so you can serve these clients regardless of the type of device they choose to use or when they choose to shop.

Fast and easy to use applications can help reduce the amount of time it takes your agents to research and complete a travel booking.  Today’s travel technology solutions provide quick, live access to supplier content and use the most up to date availability and pricing. The application you choose should have a quick response time and supported by a technology partner that is responsive to the needs of your business.  Finding a technology solution that will help your travel business reach today’s online consumer is an important decision. Finding the right technology company to partner with can be even more important.

Cruise Software Fuels Cruise Sales

There are several factors contributing to the increase of cruise sales. More capacity is available than ever before and the cruise lines continue to build new ships. Larger ships are being built with new features and options available to passengers. Ships are becoming "destinations” as cruise line add new entertainment options, public spaces and cabin types while increasing the number of overall available berths.

While the significant bulk of cruise line passengers have traditionally originated from North America, cruise lines have seen explosive growth in passengers originating from outside North America. These new markets coupled with a robust "repeat customers” base have helped fuel growth as well. Cruise lines have repositioned ships so their homeport is closer to these customers. Many have added new itineraries that include the latest, hottest destinations and some have even modified their onboard service to better serve the needs of these new passengers. The growth of river cruising has added to the increase with smaller ships that access routes not available to ocean cruise liners.

The ease and accessibility of online cruise reservation software today provides many Online Travel Agencies the opportunity to expand their customer base to include cruises. The ability for cruise reservation software to easily handle multiple languages have allowed many travel agents to serve new ethnic markets domestically. The ability to handle multiple currencies have allowed many online travel agencies to expand into new markets internationally.

While online cruise sales have a way to go before reaching the levels of airline reservations or hotel bookings made online, it is no less critical to focus resources to address the inevitable cultural shift from traditional retail to online sales. If you plan to sell cruises today, you need to keep pace with the multiple ways that consumers research and book cruises today. Some cruise booking engine will use responsive technology for greater support of various mobile and tablet screen sizes so their customers can easily view and navigate through the booking process regardless of the type of device they are using. But what will be required to shift your cruise sales online? What tools will you need to automate the booking of cruises and get your customers using this cost effective an efficient channel?

First make sure you include access to the content your clients are looking for. Make your cruise reservation software can localize the content and allow you to control what your clients are offered. Live access to multiple cruise lines with innovative connections that give access to benefits such as group allocations and the ability to sell from multiple price-points in a single category. Ease and accessibility via mobile devices is critical whether your customers start their research and shopping using their mobile device and complete their booking with a travel agent, or research, shop and book online, the application you choose is mobile ready.

Finding cruise reservation software with the right combination of options for your business can be a critical decision. Finding a technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer with the content they are looking for can be just as important.

The Cruise Reservation Revolution Evolution

Many years ago, planning and confirming a cruise vacation often started with going through the glossy brochures that cruise lines created to market their brand an individual ship features. Then there would be a discussion with a travel agent or cruise line reservation specialist to narrow down the search and confirm actual sailing dates. This would require a series of phone calls before knowing which cruise lines had which sailings available. Not to mention the different types of cruises available or numerous choices in ships and cabin categories. Are your clients interested in cruising the islands of the Caribbean? Or maybe they are looking for a cruise tour visiting Europe or exploring Alaska. The cruise lines have done a great job in developing cruises that fit the unique destinations they visit and travel agents have always been the experts at matching the passenger with the right cruise line, itinerary and type of cabin.

The online revolution has changed how cruises are researched and booked, so today's cruise reservation software makes it easy for just about anyone to research and book their cruise vacation online. Cruise line websites may provide customers the ability to research and book their cruise vacations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many include a vast amount cruise line, cruise ship and cabin descriptions linked to media files & rich content such as cabin photos, ship images and deck plans to assist in the shopping process. Consumers can go online and view pictures of a particular ship including sample guest cabins, shipboard restaurants and gyms. In some cases they can quickly view where a specific cabin is located on the ship and determine whether it is in the right location. As a result, many consumers now prefer to research and book their cruise vacations online, allowing them to research and book a cruise when they want from the comfort of their own home.

But are some of these consumers getting the best deal? With so many cruise lines offering so many different deals, keeping track of price adjustments and special promotional offers can be overwhelming for most looking to book a vacation. This is where the services of a professional travel agent can be invaluable in getting the best deals available and today's online booking engines make it easy for travel agents to include cruise reservation software on their website.

Quite often, a travel agent will have access to special deals with cruise lines and they can often ensure V.I.P. treatment onboard. Their help and expertise can certainly make a cruise vacation easier to research plan as well as more enjoyable overall. Who doesn't like extra cash to pay for onboard services like Spa treatments or specialty dining? The best travel agents ensure their customers get the best possible value and options when booking a cruise vacation.

So while technology has made it easier for consumers to research and book their own cruise vacations online, travel agents continue to be a great resource to sort through the different options and get the best deal. Finding cruise reservation software with right combination of content and product features can be a critical decision for your travel business, finding the right technology partner can be just as important.