For Sea Cloud Cruises, having boots on the ground is very important; the company supports its advisors across America and is building out its sales department to enhance this, which will ultimately support consumers more too.
According to newly appointed President of Sales, Americas, Kevin Smith, Sea Cloud needs people, and advisors, to tell its story, as they’ve experienced the product.
A new system that allows travel advisors to book staterooms for their guests directly will be announced and launched by the company in upcoming weeks.
As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Smith is based in South Florida and joined Sea Cloud Cruises in mid-2023. He has been tasked to grow the company in North America.
Path to Success
“My focus right now is growing the sales team. I’ll be bringing on a director of sales, looking to bring on an East Coast business development manager for the time being, as well as building out our reservations department to support the consumer and advisor. My focus is our partners, the travel trade,” Smith said.
Success for Sea Cloud’s president is personal: “For me, the number one is becoming the leader in our space. (Our ships accommodate) 64, 94 and 136 passengers: that’s small ship, that’s intimate and on the verge of private yacht feel … and I want to own that space and Sea Cloud to become the world’s best in that city,” he explained.
“We’re going to listen. Hearing from the clients and sharing their experiences with us is so important; we must stop and listen. We also don’t need to follow what everybody else is doing, because quite frankly, we’re not like everybody else.”
Brand Message
“We’ve done a really good job. When I look at what we’re doing in the North American market, for me it is about heritage, legacy, craftsmanship, and at the end of the day, loyalty to the consumer. That’s our brand message. That’s where our focus pillars are,” Smith said.
He emphasized the important role that advisors also play in building out the brand.
“In my role, my focus is building the brand here in North America through our partnerships with the trade. It is such an important part of our business; it’s the largest segment of our business, and the relationships that we are forging within the consortiums are truly priceless to Sea Cloud,” he added.
Itineraries and Deployments
Smith told Cruise Industry News that Sea Cloud’s most popular itineraries are those in Ireland and Scotland.
For Smith personally, though, a week off to go anywhere would mean sailing Malta, round trip, around Sicily for nine days.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind itinerary. Not too many people in our space offer that type of itinerary that’s solely focused on Sicily,” he noted.
And while the Scotland and Irish itineraries are doing very well, Smoth said he wants to create more awareness around Sea Cloud’s Caribbean offerings.
“This isn’t the Caribbean that everybody’s familiar with; it’s going to the smaller places that are not inhabited. We go in, we have private beach barbecues. It’s kind of that sleeper Caribbean that nobody offers anymore.”
Sea Cloud’s Story
Smith said before stepping into his new role as president, he had the opportunity to wear different hats and speak to many agents, owners and advisors in the industry.
“All the cruise companies deliver great experiences in this industry, but few have the same kind of craftsmanship and the type of vessels that Sea Cloud has, and we therefore need to lean into that and tell our story,” he said.
