OCEANIA Cruises’ new ‘Quiet Mediterranean’ program (CW 07 Nov) will be particularly popular among Australians, according to Senior Vice President Int’l & Consumer Sales Steve Odell. The luxury cruise veteran, answering a question from Cruise Weekly on board the line’s new Oceania Allura during her christening ceremony last week (CW...
OCEANIA Cruises’ new ‘Quiet Mediterranean’ program (CW 07 Nov) will be particularly popular among Australians, according to Senior Vice President Int’l & Consumer Sales Steve Odell.
The luxury cruise veteran, answering a question from Cruise Weekly on board the line’s new Oceania Allura during her christening ceremony last week (CW 17 Nov), said the take up would be strong from Australia, given the program’s shoulder season focus is typically when international airfares are cheaper in our market.
“The research in Australia says it’s a really good time for airfares, and so we can get to Europe at a lower cost and we can do what we normally do as a cruise experience,” Odell explained.
“In Australia, not everybody wants to be away in the summer, there are people who say ‘it doesn’t cost $10,000 to fly to Europe in business class, it costs four’,” he added.
“I think we will pull from Asia and Australia, we’ll pull from North America.”
Odell said Oceania’s initial sales for its Quiet Med program are so far tracking well, despite the relatively unfamiliar territory the concept traces.
“At the moment, we’re on the right trajectory…it’s a big step, and I think it’s about targeting the right travellers,” he added. MS
Odell is pictured with the cruise line’s Senior Director of Sales EMEA Gabriella Fonzo.
