The cruise market has grown dramatically in recent years, and travel agencies, which sell approximately 90 percent of all cruises, are well positioned to benefit from this sustained growth and exceptional earnings, commented Jesse Liebman, senior vice president and general manager – Worldwide Travel Supplier Services for Worldspan. By quickly and efficiently delivering more cruise information to the agent`s fingertips, Worldspan Go! Cruise has become an indispensable tool for agents to provide a higher level of service to their cruise clients and enjoy the benefits of selling cruises in an automated environment. We are very pleased these three cruise lines have chosen to make their cruise products available to our growing base of travel distributors, many of whom specialize in the cruise business.
Cruises continue to be a favorite and cost-effective vacation option for millions of leisure travelers who turn to travel agents for an easy planning and reservations process, said Roberta Jacoby, senior vice president of air/sea operations and corporate training for Carnival Cruise Lines.
Added Brendan Vierra, vice president, passenger programs for Holland America Line, Offering our cruise products through Worldspan Go! Cruise is an important part of our overall distribution plan, and we`re particularly pleased to make this option available to our many travel agent partners.
Carnival Cruise Lines` inventory is now available via Worldspan Go! Cruise. Holland America and Windstar products will be available by March.
Worldspan Go!(R) Cruise provides everything travel agents need to create the ideal cruise experience for their clients, such as real-time cabin availability, comparison shopping features, and automated group or single cruise line booking capabilities.
Available through the Worldspan Go! Resource Center, Go! Cruise eliminates the need for paper brochures, time-consuming Internet searches, and multiple phone calls to cruise lines for information and availability. Using Worldspan Go! Cruise, in just minutes agents can find the best cruise package for their customers, book a complete cruise itinerary, and receive immediate online confirmation.
In addition, the newly launched Go! Cruise Version 2 offers a range of useful enhancements, including:
a new, faster booking engine;
multiple package capability for creating pre- and post-cruise packages;
the ability to view promotions offered by various cruise lines;
a new user interface with more agent-friendly design;
simple search and advanced search options;
an enhanced Port Guide providing more information for each port-of-call in the itinerary;
expanded dining options to support open seating;
cabin waitlist feature.
And cruise reservations made through Worldspan Go! Cruise provide the capability for air and other components to be incorporated into the Worldspan cruise booking PNR, providing a single comprehensive transaction record.
In addition to Carnival, Holland America and Windstar, Worldspan Go! Cruise offers browser-based access to Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
