Ricky Trautwein, product manager of destination experiences and land programs at Windstar Cruises, spoke on a MedCruise Insider podcast episode about the Explorer’s maiden season in the Mediterranean and the company’s winter sailings in the Mediterranean.
“We have two new vessels coming. The first vessel will be over in Alaska and Asia. But the second vessel, the Explorer, will be in the Mediterranean. It will spend almost its entire first year in the Mediterranean. In the peak summer months, June, July, August, it will go to northern Europe,” he said.
“It’ll spend four or five months in the Mediterranean, go up to northern Europe and then come back to the Mediterranean… it might even stay for an additional winter season. A local season. We only have the first 10 months planned for it right now,” Trautwein added.
Expanded Med Season
“It was very exciting to proudly present year-round cruising in the Mediterranean. Windstar will be continuing this,” Trautwein said. “We no longer call these winter voyages in the Mediterranean; we now call it the local season.”
“So, we have one ship sailing from Malaga over to Venice, calling to Croatia and everything in between. And now, we will be adding a second ship sailing the Canary Islands and Madeira,” he added. “We will have two ships now sailing year-round in the Mediterranean for winter.”
Luxury Trends
Trautwein said that everybody wants exclusivity, authenticity and personalization.
“It needs to be comfortable. And I know that every cruise line is maybe going to have a different ideal for what comfort is, but I think it is maybe leaning more into the exclusivity, especially as travel becomes more and more crowded,” he added. “Even just experiencing something without all the crowds is a huge luxury.”
“All of the luxury lines want their guests to be comfortable: Yes, you can still go to this attraction that everybody gets to see, but is there a more comfortable way we can bring it to our audience? Those upgrades are what set luxury apart,” Trautwein said.
He added that another growing trend in luxury is providing access to sites and destinations.
“The scales are starting to tip (regarding) getting guests excited about a destination that maybe they’ve never heard of. The scales are tipping away from the name of the place and more the experience,” Trautwein said.
He explained that in Costa Rica, for example, it’s less about the names of the ports and more about the destinations.
“In Costa Rica, it’s less about where exactly you’re going and more about what that experience can offer to you and why you’re excited to go do that,” Trautwein said.
“I think the cruise lines are going to have to lean into this and help educate the guests,” he added.
The Dream Port
Speaking on what an ideal port would look like, Trautwein highlighted a few factors:
Although not always possible, a central location for access and comfort is ideal, and having guests step off the ship and into the heart of a city. He also indicated a dedicated cruise port for pedestrians for a small luxury ship, not a commercial pier.
“We do appreciate when ports are able to include those local shuttles, especially if it’s required,” he added.
Trautwein also pointed to shore excursion profiles that are differentiated, which cruise lines can tweak to make it a good fit for their guests.
“Have a distinct excursion profile. Integrate with a local artisan or something very exciting that guests can go on tour and bring something personalized home with them,” he added.
Other indicators mentioned by Trautwein were having the swim platform open, having operator experience and knowledge, and having a free guest experience like a sail away experience or performance.
“Anything you can do that adds value to the cruise line and to the guest experience I think is huge,” he added.
Working with the Local Communities
“It is a product manager’s dream to have these amazing connections with local vendors,” Trautwein said. “It’s really a connection of having the operator know what’s available so that they can give it to the cruise line or you. We need that deep local connection to get integrations with artists.”
He explained that finding experiences or items that can be personalized can be difficult, but they are worth it.
Everyone gets excited about those home-run experiences because they are rare. If you can achieve it, everyone will go crazy for it,” he said. “It is worth the research and the investment in your local port to find these artisans that are willing to work with cruise lines.”
