Cunard revealed that two travel agents who participated in a fam trip and ship visit this summer have since booked their own personal holidays with the cruise line, according to a press release.
Mandy Semper, assistant manager at Lincolnshire Co-operative Travel, joined a four-night fam trip on the new Queen Anne on August 28, sailing to Rotterdam.
Following her experience onboard she has booked a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise on the Queen Anne featuring celebrity chef Michel Roux, departing May 11, 2025.
Adalaine Nicholson, travel manager at Travel Counsellors, has also booked a seven-night Norwegian Fjords with Michel Roux voyage, departing April 6, 2025. Nicholson had visited the Queen Mary 2 during a ship tour in Liverpool this September.
Tom Mahoney, UK sales director at Cunard, said: “We’re delighted that Mandy and Adalaine enjoyed their time onboard to such an extent that they have chosen to book their own holidays on our stunning Norwegian Fjords voyages. This is clear evidence of the value of getting agents onboard to see first-hand the huge range of experiences we offer.”
Semper said: “The atmosphere on Queen Anne was more laid back and informal than I was expecting, with a mixture of ages on board. The food was amazing and there’s a lovely variety of bars and restaurants for guests to choose from. I was also pleasantly surprised at how good the Cunard Insight speakers were. I now know that Cunard is not just for a certain type of person; it is far more diverse and affordable than I imagined.
“I’ve always wanted to visit the Norwegian Fjords. The fact it’s a special sailing with Michel Roux was a big selling point. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to experience La Gavroche.”
Nicholson said: “I enjoyed the whole experience and the timeless elegance of Queen Mary 2. It’s clear to see that Cunard can suit all ages. I now feel more confident in the whole process of promoting and booking a Cunard cruise.
“After the tour and lunch on the ship, I met my husband and said, ‘right, let’s book a cruise’. It will be our first one, but knowing that we are sailing from Southampton on a quality ship takes all the stress away.”
Cunard completed two agent fam trips this year, with another two set for October 13, on the Queen Mary 2, to Hamburg, and November 15, on the Queen Victoria, to Amsterdam.
The line’s 2024 ship visit program includes 10 events across the Queen Anne, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, in Liverpool, Greenock and Southampton.
The line also said that Jane Chadwick, a cruise specialist at GoCruise & Travel, has recently booked her third Cunard voyage paid for entirely with Shine points. Chadwick will be sailing to Bruges and Amsterdam aboard the Queen Victoria this December to celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary.
Chadwick said: “This is what Shine points were invented for. I’m so excited for our Queen Victoria voyage over New Year, where we’ll be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary on December 30. We used to do this every year, but we’ve not done it since the pandemic. I’ve hated New Year ever since, but this will be a good New Year. It was an Early Saver fare, 10 percent off for Shine Member fare, balcony, and all covered by Shine points – what’s not to love?”
