MSC Cruises said it will go live with a new agent booking tool on June 1. The system, called MSC Book, will have enhanced functionality and a clean modern look, MSC said.
Booking will involve
four steps: selecting the cruise and stateroom, finding flights and hotels,
adding pre-paid services such as spa treatments and shore excursions, and checkout.
Agents will be able to select
up to five staterooms in one booking.
Among other things, the
system will be able to:
• Select staterooms via an interactive deck plan that enables travel agents to browse by deck and position of the stateroom, and
quickly see stateroom availability for the category selected.
• Compare prices, dates, itineraries and any additional
items included in the price for up to three cruises on a single page and print
or email to clients.
• Request a group directly from MSC Book and then use
the booking engine to manage the group.
MSC introduced the new system to
agents attending the CLIA Cruise3sixty conference at the Broward County Convention
Center in Fort Lauderdale.
“MSC Book is being designed with travel agent’s
booking needs in mind, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the end-user
experience and making the booking process as quick and simple as possible,”
said Ken Muskat, MSC’s executive vice president of sales, public relations and guest
services for North America.
MSC will hold a series of agent road shows from June
to September largely to explain the new system to agents. Dates have not yet be
set but the cities on the road show include Albany, N.Y.; Atlanta, Baltimore; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; Fort Lauderdale; Houston;
Nassau County (Long Island) N.Y.; Lancaster, Pa.; Miami; New Brunswick, N.J.;
Orlando; Scranton, Pa.; Tampa; and West Palm Beach, Fla.