One of the major travel categories that home-based travel agents have focused on selling in recent years is river cruising. Indeed, river cruising has exploded in terms of its popularity and breadth of product in the market.

A-ROSA Cruises has been operating river cruises in Europe for the past 14 years but entered the North America market only three short years ago. During this time, we have purposely sought out many home-based agents and guests onboard to find out what is important to them when selecting a vacation. As you might imagine, different people have different answers to this question, which left only one answer that everyone could agree on. In a word, that answer was “choices.”

It is no surprise that a traveler’s satisfaction with his or her vacation is directly related to their ability to select what they want and make it fit their preferences, instead of the other way around. So A-ROSA Cruises set a course to do exactly that. What follows here is some of the specific feedback we received and our answers to help make the home-based agent’s job that much easier.

We were told there were not enough sailings offered every year for North American travelers so we addressed that first. What started off with 13 sailings in 2013 and 17 sailings in 2014, has grown to 200 sailings in 2015. With this dramatic increase is cruises on the Rhone/Saone, Rhine, Danube, Main and Moselle rivers, we are confident we have something to offer everyone looking to vacation in Europe.

We know that home-based agents need information quickly and in one place to maximize their time and it is now contained in the 2015 brochure and pricing guide. We were also asked for a wider selection for the length of cruises. This was important for those travelers looking to incorporate an A-ROSA cruise as part of a larger travel program. We answered that by adding three-, four-, five- and six-night cruises to the seven- to 11-night sailings.

Both home-based and traditional agents tell us their clients prefer to select their own excursions and not have just one included excursion per port. This really got us to thinking, and we decided to approach it from a completely different angle than most river cruise lines do today.

A-ROSA now includes a generous $560-credit per couple to their shipboard account allowing them to choose what they want to experience in each port. Giving guests the freedom to select land tours best suited to their lifestyle, preferences and activity level is a win-win for everyone. And maybe that choice is no excursion at all one day, opting instead for a couples massage or a facial from the A-ROSA Spa.

Another choice we offer to our guests is the option to dine how they wish. They can enjoy a seated, plated, four-course dinner or a sumptuous buffet with cooking stations. This was done because some days the excursions return late in the day and now they do not have to rush to dinner. This is for those wanting to eliminate the pressure of eating at a specific time.

Back for 2015 are the popular inclusive amenities that received such positive comments with A-ROSA’s Open Bar policy to enjoy any time of the night or day throughout the ship, not just with meals. With pre-paid gratuities, all port taxes and fees, and complimentary Wi-Fi access included, we are supporting our home-based agents by paying them commission on all aspects of their client’s trip with upfront 17 percent commission on all bookings.

We know that the source of home-based agents clientele many times come from friends, family and their surrounding community contacts, which often isn’t as simple as one couple traveling. That’s why A-ROSA is helping in two different ways: First, all sailings next year have at least one category that has waived the single supplements completely and there are many dates where it’s waived on all non-suite categories.

Second, A-ROSA introduced a new category of stateroom for families with the inauguration of the A-ROSA Flora just this past April. They are 125 percent larger than standard cabins with room for four guests comfortably — and kids sail free. Only one adult is needed and up to three children are free, making it a great alternative for families on a budget.

David Morris International (DMI), which provides sales and marketing for A-ROSA here in the U.S., also has partnered with Auto Europe, providing car, hotel and air services, to offer with A-ROSA cruises.

We welcome all agents interested in building their business to contact A-ROSA sales at 855-552-7672 and select option 3.