Home-based travel agencies Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. said their new Cruise Fare Watch system has become a game-changer for travel agents.
The new system automates the process of tracking cruise fares.
More than 7,700 watches have been created and more than 5,000 alerts have notified agents of price changes in about a month of use.
“We are continuously evolving our technology, whether it is creating new tools or enhancing existing resources, that will make running a home-based business more efficient and profitable,” said Sandi Szalay, vice president of information technology at Dream Vacations , CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “Cruise Fare Watch is a game-changer for our network of travel agents because it enforces the value of a travel agent by giving them the ability to provide compelling and competitive price advantages to customers.”
Agents can set three different types of watches using the Cruise Fare Watch tool:
• From a booking – This links to an existing booking and can assist agents in demonstrating the value of booking in advance, as well as create opportunity to upgrade for less money or upsell to a higher cabin category.
• From a customer – If a prospective customer is interested in a specific sailing, but has not yet booked, this watch can be used by the agent to notify the customer when the cruise fare has reached a certain price point.
• From a sailing – Not tied to any customer or booking, this watch can be used as a marketing tool if an agent sells a lot of a specific itinerary or cruise line.
Agents can select if they want to be alerted when a price drops or increases by a specific dollar amount or percentage.
“The new Cruise Fare Watch is an amazing tool to have in our arsenal,” said Alicia Geiger, Dream Vacations franchise owner in Sinking Spring, Pa. “It allows us to watch the hundreds of cruises we have booked to make sure we’re giving the best deal to our clients. If the Fare Watch Tool finds a cruise that dropped in price, we can check and possibly get the reduced price or get upgrades for the client. Conversely, if the fare goes up we can notify clients who are thinking of booking to let them know that now is the time before the rate goes any higher. It’s a win-win!”
