One evening early in our two-week
Mediterranean cruise aboard Peter Deilmann Cruises MV Deutschland,
onboard hostess Helga recalled a sailing when the maitre dhotel of
the ships Berlin restaurant seated an American man traveling alone
with a German woman dining with her parents. A few years later, the
two, now married, returned to the Deutschland to celebrate. It was
a special moment for the crew, who had watched the romance begin.
Several years
after that chance dinner turned into transatlantic nuptials, Peter
Deilmann has begun a drive to introduce more U.S. travelers to the
German cruisers who sail on the oceangoing Deutschland.
While marriages
may not be the intended result, a happy ending for all
is.
Components of
this courtship of U.S. cruisers include themed cruises, more active
shore excursions, English-speaking hosts and two English-language
TV channels onboard. In addition, several financial incentives are
in the offing.
Asked how
Deilmann was going about luring more Americans onto the
Deutschland, Ron Santangelo, president of Deilmanns Alexandria,
Va.-based North American division, stressed the cruise lines free
air fare program, available for 18 cruise departures from 16 East
Coast gateways.
Low-fare air
supplements are also available starting at $50 from 19 cities in
the Midwest and from $200 from 13 gateways in the Western
U.S.
In addition,
Deilmann has lowered the participant threshold to qualify for the
lines 5% discount. A minimum of five couples is now considered a
group.
Also,
English-speaking clients can reserve English-language shore
excursions at 50% off the onboard price.
Santangelo said
Deilmann hopes this will make it easier for [U.S.] passengers to
buy an ocean voyage on the Deutschland.
But whether a
happy ending is in the works is still unclear.
On the Oct. 8
Mediterranean sailing of the Deutschland, a group of 10 U.S. travel
agents participated in a one-week familiarization trip. Reactions
were mixed.
In the
mix
On the plus side,
retailers onboard said the ship, though small, is one of the most
elegant sailing today.
The service is
consistently among the best, the ports of call are unusual and the
attention to detail is amazing.
This is one of
the few small ocean cruises, said Virtuoso agent Sheila Kraft of
Pier n Port Travel in Cincinnati.
Jean King, owner
of King Travelways in Meriden, Conn., agreed. My clientele much
prefers the elegance of small ships.
King also
stressed the uniqueness of the ports of call as a major selling
point. Mediterranean ports like the islands of Madeira and Elba are
too small for many larger ships.
They also decided
the passenger mix of Germans and Americans offered advantages and
disadvantages.
Right now, one of
the drawbacks is the lack of balance between English and German
[language], said King.
Few onboard
activities or shore excursions were offered in English.
But both agents
stressed that English usage should not overtake German, as the
ships cultural mix is in itself a big selling point, especially for
U.S. cruisers who dont want to be surrounded by other
Americans.
Many of the other
English-speaking passengers on the Oct. 8 sailing echoed the agents
comments.
However, at the
end of a recent two-week sailing, there was plenty of grumbling
when yet another German tour bus rolled away long before its
English-language counterpart. Deilmann insists that no preference
is intentionally given to German-speaking passengers.
The most
satisfied cruisers on the ship appeared to be participants in the
themed cruise package -- in the case of the Oct. 8 sailing, a golf
cruise. Some 25 U.S. passengers participated in the golf package,
and all professed satisfaction with the trip.
Several themed
cruises will be offered on the Deutschland in 2006, including golf,
gardens, music and equestrian sailings. New active shore excursions
will include glacier hikes, river rafting and kayaking.
For more
information, call (800) 348- 8287 or visit www.deilmann-cruises.com.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to [email protected].