At SmartFlyer, we pride ourselves on being on top of every aspect of our clients’ travel experiences – and one way in which to do so is to experience the products we sell. In the case of cruising, some of our younger SmartFlyer agents initially didn’t view this type of vacation as a viable way in which their clients would choose to explore the world. I told them that seeing is believing.

My thinking on the subject of cruises changed for me when, during a Christmas holiday, I sailed on North Star Australia’s True North, on a three-night itinerary out of Sydney. In addition to exploring remote beaches during the cruise I was also able to see Sydney’s world-famous Opera House from above – thanks to the vessel’s onboard helicopter.

Following a Virtuoso meeting in Hong Kong a few years back, I had the opportunity to fly to Ho Cho Minh City and embark on an Aqua Expeditions river cruise aboard the Aqua Mekong. I discovered that the itinerary provided the very best way in which to explore the most remote parts of Vietnam.

Additionally, agents should not discount contemporary cruise lines when it comes to offering upscale clients one-of-a-kind vacation experiences. Recently, Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of sales, trade support, suggested that I try out the line’s Harmony of the Seas. I did, and I liked what I saw.

Where else can you dine in a restaurant run by a world-famous chef (in this case, Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian) and then hop on the elevator to the ship’s top deck to let the kids take a stab at the rock-climbing wall. Furthermore, Harmony of the Seas also features a robust selection of high-end suites, including the 1,524-square-foot Royal Loft Suite, which sleeps six.

The moral of the story is this: educate yourself on the wide variety of cruise options out there and the bookings will roll in. I see the stats – and the cruise business is SmartFlyer’s fastest growing travel segment.