Teri West
Sailing
Alaska or Northern Europe may be more associated with a relaxed, mature
experience than cruising in the Caribbean, where you’ll find more ships
equipped with onboard amusement parks and DJs.
And as
contemporary cruise ships and private destinations only get bigger and filled
with attractions, more upscale brands like Holland America Line are digging
into what makes them different.
The line
launched an advertising campaign last week intended to remind current and
potential guests that they can find a sophisticated and laid-back experience in
the Caribbean on Holland America.
At the
same time, Cunard is investing more in the region by dedicating a ship to the
Caribbean for a full season for the first time. The Queen Elizabeth will arrive
in Miami in October.
As
Cunard invests more in the Caribbean, it is focusing on making its itineraries
appealing to its audience by bringing on a Broadway or West End star for every
voyage and offering longer, three-week sailings.
“We
really do just put such a heavy emphasis on what that experience is on board,
as well as the destinations that we're taking you to,” Cunard’s senior vice
president of North America commercial operations Liz Fettes told me. “I think
that that’s really the ‘why’: Doing something different in the Caribbean and
how Cunard can deliver that different and unique experience.”
Holland
America’s campaign, “Refreshingly Free,” is intended to reach the line’s core
demographics: retirees, empty nesters, couples in their 40s, parents with adult
children, and families with young children, chief marketing officer Kacy Cole
said.
For repeat
passengers, the goal is to remind them of everything that Holland America
proudly avoids, be it a bland buffet, amusement park onboard or crowded beach.
“The
Caribbean is really owned by, three-, five-, seven-day quick turns. Big ships,”
Cole said. “And that's really not what we're known for, so we really want to
own the differentiation.”
While
new offerings or campaigns support each of the companies in the hottest cruise
market in the world, there’s also more to those efforts. For
Cunard, for example, there’s a desire to deepen its name recognition in North
America, Fettes said. Being in the most popular cruise region is key to that.
“I think
it's just really important that not only from a consumer perspective but then
also from a travel partner standpoint you've got accessibility for people to be
able to see your ship, not only in port but also to be able to walk on and do a
ship tour,” Fettes said. “I think us having that consistent season will just
bring more notoriety to the brand that truly is needed in the North America
market.”