Cruise Executives Share Top Tips for Travel Advisor Success

Cruises are one of the fastest-growing vacation styles. Passenger volume reached a record 37.2 million in 2025 and is projected to climb to between 39 and 40.3 million in 2026 and 2027.

Meaning, being a travel advisor who sells cruises is a smart and lucrative place to be. And at the recently wrapped-up CruiseWorld conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, some of the cruise industry’s top executives sat down for a “masterminds’ panel discussion during which they dropped their top insider tips for travel advisor success in this industry.

The C-suite panel participants included Rob Coleman, Senior Vice President from Holland America Line; Erin Douglas, Senior Vice President of Trade Sales in the U.S. for MSC Cruises; Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service; Carmen Roig, Vice President of Sales for Princess Cruises; Jennifer Suarez, Vice President of Sales, The Americas for Celebrity Cruises, Brennan Quesnele, Senior Vice President Sales & Trade Marketing, North America for Norwegian Cruise Line and Janet Wygert, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Marketing at Carnival Cruise Line from Carnival Cruise Line.

Here’s a closer look at the questions this mastermind panel of top executives fielded and the industry insights they shared.

Travel industry executives take to the stage at CruiseWorld 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Credit: By Mia Taylor)

Masterminds of the cruise industry

The cruise industry, like the rest of the travel industry, continues to evolve each year to adapt to cruisers' demands and the realities of the world at large. The first question CruiseWorld mastermind panelists tackled addressed this evolution and what it means for cruise vacations.

“We used to segregate the world into on-season and off-season. And we’re breaking that mold,” said Coleman. “So [now we’re] going into the fjords in Norway to see the Northern Lights in the fall and winter [and we’re] going to Japan in the fall, not just for cherry blossom season or we’re spending the winter season in the Mediterranean.”

“It’s the same landmarks, same incredible culture, but no crowds,” Coleman added. “So we’re really breaking open how - and when - people travel. And that means the opportunities for all of our brands is limitless.”

The rapidly growing number of travel advisors entering the industry is another exciting development that the panelists highlighted. According to industry analysis from AltexSoft’s Travel Advisor Market Overview, 35% of travel advisors entered the industry within the last 5 years.

“I think the really exciting thing that’s happening in our industry is what’s happening with the advisors,” said Wygert to a room full of travel advisor conference attendees. 

“We’re seeing so many new advisors coming into our industry. And I think that’s a really good thing…because you bring enthusiasm and new ideas and that’s really great for all of our brands. That just makes me feel really great about our future.”

Moving on to some key takeaways for advisors, the panelists were next asked to divulge the one thing the most successful advisors consistently do that separates them from other advisors.

The answer?

According to Wygert, the best advisors take the job seriously and know their metrics.

“The best of the best travel advisors out there, you know your numbers. You know your business. You understand your business and you see where the opportunity is,” said Wygert. “And you use that data to grow your business and to work with your BDMs.”

“You can show [your BDMs] the opportunity and you measure your marketing,” added Wygert.

Knowing your business inside and out as a travel advisor allows for better, more informative and effective conversations with cruise line business development managers, explained Wygert. And when travel advisors can share valuable business numbers and data with a BDM, the BDM can more effectively help grow your business.

“The more you know about your business, the better. The agents that always stand out to me are the ones that know how their’e performing,” added Wygert.

Knowing your numbers as a travel advisor isn’t the only key to success, according to the cruise industry masterminds. The combination of knowing your numbers and truly knowing and understanding your clients is even more powerful, Douglas of MSC Cruises said.

“The most successful advisors really know their clients well,” Douglas explained. “So, using that data to ensure you’re reaching out at the right times, reaching out to the right people, and with the right products and the right cruise line and experience they are looking for—that's absolutely key. And it’s where you become someone who's guiding your clients and not just selling to them.”

To this advice, Quensele, of Norwegian Cruise Line, added that conducting yourself like a business owner as a travel advisor is also critical to long-term success.

“Treat it like a business,” he said. “And I’d also say the other little bit of a secret we see from success metrics is leaning into group [bookings.] Groups are a really big opportunity for a lot of successful advisors."

And if you’re not already engaging in “stacking” as a travel advisor, you’ll want to take note of the next tip, courtesy of Coleman, from Holland America Line.

“We have more product available for years then ever before. And…guests are willing to book and stack multiple vacations out into the future,” Coleman explained. “So instead of just booking their next vacation, have their next, next vacation always lined up because they will follow that trend. We’ve all seen it.”

“That way, you can have your book of business ahead of you and be able to lay the groundwork for success in the future.”

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