Charter Cruises

Anyone paying attention these days will agree, the popularity of cruising has continued to grow even while other travel options have pulled back. Cruising in itself has become very mainstream and within the reach of all travelers. These days there are cruise ships for all tastes and budgets including short cruises and long cruises. To that point, CruiseWest is marketing a world cruise on the Spirit of Oceanus that will last 335 days.

As the popularity of cruising has exploded over the last few decades, other options have become more common. I am speaking of the option of chartering a cruise ship for exclusive use, also known as charter cruises. When I entered the cruise industry many years ago, only larger corporations were prepared or capable of chartering a cruise ship. And, they often used this as an incentive reward for their sales people or dealer networks.

Today that has changed, with the variety of ship sizes and destinations, the chartering of cruise ships has expanded into broader reaches. Today you might find a wealthy individual chartering a cruise ship for their birthday party or special event. You can also find ships being chartered to certain affinity groups that may not mix well with the general public and want exclusivity as well as privacy. Such groups can include gay, lesbian, religious groups and many others.

Another new and growing use of charter cruises is as temporary housing for world events such as the Olympics or Super Bowl near port cities. Now you can bring in fully operational housing for the few weeks it is needed during these events.

While charter cruises have become more common place, the skills needed to successfully manage and market these programs are many. So if you’re looking to market your cruise line or charter cruise company, do yourself a favor and hire a professional to assist you.

–Roy