The cruise industry is massive. In fact, CLIA estimates it generates more than $150 billion in economic activity every year around the world. This week on Trade Secrets, we’re focusing on one segment of that larger industry: small-ship cruising. Jamie Biesiada and guest host Andrea Zelinski, Travel Weekly’s cruise editor, talk all things small ships (and, spoiler, Tahiti) with Windstar Cruises’ Chris Prelog and travel advisor Nancy Cutter.

This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises https://www.windstarcruises.com/.

In this episode:
1:51 - Meet our guests, Windstar’s Chris Prelog and travel advisor Nancy Cutter
3:30 - What is small-ship cruising, anyway?
4:45 - Windstar is squarely within the small-ship category; who else sits there?
7:50 - Chris on returning Windstar’s crew after the Covid-19-mandated pause in cruising
9:14 - Who is the ideal client for a small-ship product?
10:38 - What kind of passengers does Windstar typically host?
11:29 - Let’s talk Tahiti, and Windstar’s 35th year there
13:17 - What’s the competition like for the cruise market in Tahiti?
15:09 - Where are the two places in the world that particularly lend themselves to small-ship cruising?
17:20 - What has demand been like for small-ship cruises?
18:28 - Travel advisor Jade has a few questions for Chris. First, are there ever exceptions made for families with children under 8?
19:30 - Chris on why Windstar requires 100% of passengers to be vaccinated against Covid-19
20:12 - What destination or itinerary of Windstar’s has the highest return rate?
21:11 - Will Windstar add more North American sailings?
21:40 - Jade’s agency is new to Windstar and she’s looking for some unique marketing ideas
26:17 - Travel advisor Kleon is curious about Windstar’s decision to bring a larger, non-sail ship into French Polynesia

Further resources:

Windstar Cruises - https://www.windstarcruises.com/

Court Travel - https://www.courttravel.com/

Windstar wants to put a bigger ship in Tahiti - https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Windstar-wants-bigger-ship-Tahiti

Focus on Cruise: Windstar’s Tahiti turn - https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Focus-on-Cruise-Windstar-Tahiti-turn

Ponant plans to build ship for Tahiti cruising - https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Ponant-plans-build-Tahiti-ship

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cruise industry is massive. In fact, CLIA estimates it generates more than $150 billion in economic activity every year around the world. This week on Trade Secrets, we&rsquo;re focusing on one segment of that larger industry: small-ship cruising. Jamie Biesiada and guest host Andrea Zelinski, Travel Weekly&rsquo;s cruise editor, talk all things small ships (and, spoiler, Tahiti) with Windstar Cruises&rsquo; Chris Prelog and travel advisor Nancy Cutter.
This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises <a href="https://www.windstarcruises.com/">https://www.windstarcruises.com/</a>.
<hr>
In this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">1:51 - Meet our guests, Windstar&rsquo;s Chris Prelog and travel advisor Nancy Cutter</li>
<li aria-level="1">3:30 - What is small-ship cruising, anyway?</li>
<li aria-level="1">4:45 - Windstar is squarely within the small-ship category; who else sits there?</li>
<li aria-level="1">7:50 - Chris on returning Windstar&rsquo;s crew after the Covid-19-mandated pause in cruising</li>
<li aria-level="1">9:14 - Who is the ideal client for a small-ship product?</li>
<li aria-level="1">10:38 - What kind of passengers does Windstar typically host?</li>
<li aria-level="1">11:29 - Let&rsquo;s talk Tahiti, and Windstar&rsquo;s 35th year there</li>
<li aria-level="1">13:17 - What&rsquo;s the competition like for the cruise market in Tahiti?</li>
<li aria-level="1">15:09 - Where are the two places in the world that particularly lend themselves to small-ship cruising?</li>
<li aria-level="1">17:20 - What has demand been like for small-ship cruises?</li>
<li aria-level="1">18:28 - Travel advisor Jade has a few questions for Chris. First, are there ever exceptions made for families with children under 8?</li>
<li aria-level="1">19:30 - Chris on why Windstar requires 100% of passengers to be vaccinated against Covid-19</li>
<li aria-level="1">20:12 - What destination or itinerary of Windstar&rsquo;s has the highest return rate?</li>
<li aria-level="1">21:11 - Will Windstar add more North American sailings?</li>
<li aria-level="1">21:40 - Jade&rsquo;s agency is new to Windstar and she&rsquo;s looking for some unique marketing ideas</li>
<li aria-level="1">26:17 - Travel advisor Kleon is curious about Windstar&rsquo;s decision to bring a larger, non-sail ship into French Polynesia</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Further resources:
Windstar Cruises - <a href="https://www.windstarcruises.com/">https://www.windstarcruises.com/</a>
Court Travel - <a href="https://www.courttravel.com/">https://www.courttravel.com/</a>
Windstar wants to put a bigger ship in Tahiti - <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Windstar-wants-bigger-ship-Tahiti">https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Windstar-wants-bigger-ship-Tahiti</a>
Focus on Cruise: Windstar&rsquo;s Tahiti turn - <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Focus-on-Cruise-Windstar-Tahiti-turn">https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Focus-on-Cruise-Windstar-Tahiti-turn</a>
Ponant plans to build ship for Tahiti cruising - <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Ponant-plans-build-Tahiti-ship">https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Ponant-plans-build-Tahiti-ship</a>
<hr>
Need advice?
Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
&nbsp;
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.


Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners&rsquo; questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more &mdash; as long as it&rsquo;s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at <a href="http://travelweekly.com/podcasts">travelweekly.com/podcasts</a>.
<hr>
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors&rsquo; 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives &mdash; the highs and lows that make them human.
<hr>
 Theme song: Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>
<hr>
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

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