It’s that time of year again – Wave Season – when cruise lines unveil promotions and discounts designed to fill ships, which also provides travel advisors with a means to boost their commissions.
To be successful at upselling, however, advisors would be well-served to reassess how they view the concept itself.
Spelling Out the Benefits
“It’s not about pushing a more expensive trip. Instead, it’s about building trust with your clients by reducing potential friction and regret,” said Ashley Morris of Alpaca Your Bags.
“Sell the logistics, not the itinerary,” she added. “Help clients see that the add-ons are needed for a smoother, stress-free and more rewarding experience.”
Also, selling up doesn’t have to mean selling everything up. “Advisors can gain a lot of trust by helping clients prioritize,” she said. “You can say, ‘Skip this to splurge on that,’ which goes a long way.”
Chris Caulfield, owner of a Dreams Vacations franchise, is of the same mind. “My advice to advisors on upselling cruises is to focus on how the upsell will enhance the cruise,” he said. “Client satisfaction is higher when more experiences are included in the vacation.”
He added: “A client who is looking to book the lowest-priced inside cabin may be persuaded otherwise once the advisor paints a picture of the elevated experience. Explain the benefits of having their own private balcony to enjoy coffee as the ship arrives at the destination, and a drink when the ship leaves that evening.”
Upselling to River Cruises
Krissy Yoder, owner of Be Our Guest Travel Company, an Affluent Travel Collection affiliate, said she considers river cruising an upsell from land vacations since the commission is generally higher and requires less work than FIT bookings.
“When our travel advisors confidently explain how river cruising delivers a more seamless and enriching experience – especially for milestone trips or first-time Europe travelers – the conversation naturally moves from ‘Is it worth it?’ to ‘Why wouldn’t we do this?’” she said.
For her part, Suzy Schreiner, owner of Azure Blue Vacations, stressed the earning potential in selling “ancillary and unique items,” such as pre- and post-cruise options, “which make advisors “look like rockstars.”
As a case in point, Schreiner booked a European Disney cruise out of Rome (Civitavecchia) for a family this coming summer, and while it would have been a simple process to suggest rote, pre-cruise options, she instead detailed the myriad benefits of more tailored experiences.
Creating Memories
“I shared with them how planning private touring and experiences for their family will help them enhance interactions with one another and build some really unique memories – and I shared with them the time they would save having private guides at the Colosseum and Vatican and how the guides can speak to the interests of the children and their parents,” she said.
“Adding in a pasta-making class in a Roman home and city tour via golf cart gave them a plan to enjoy Rome as a family while having fun together.’
The end result? “They loved that idea, and I put it together through one of my preferred partners and added over $900 commission to my bottom line!” Shreiner said.
Offering Multiple Budget Options
Talitha Park, a top-producing advisor at Anew Travel, urged advisors to never “pre-decide a client’s budget for them.”
“I always present at least two options that are slightly above the stated budget and clearly explain what that additional investment unlocks in terms of experience – better locations, added inclusions or overall value,” she said, adding that many clients are happy to stretch the budget once they understand why it matters.
Similar to the strategy Dream Vacations’ Caulfield takes, once a client selects a cruise line, Park upsells accommodations by showing clients several cabin categories.
“Often, the cost difference between an entry-level option and an ocean-view or upgraded category is minimal, but the experience feels significantly elevated,” she said. “Clients will never know those options exist unless we take the time to present them.”
Adding Co-Branded Links
Mark Hennigan, co-owner of Dreamers Travel, encouraged advisors to offer or send co-branded links to clients. As an example, when a client clicks on the agency’s Viator link and books excursions, “ even if they didn’t book the cruise or trip with us, we are still making some type of commissions,” he said.
Hennigan used a non-cruise example to illustrate how this strategy can pay off. “I have three couples going to Sandals on February 18,” Hennigan said. “They booked things in the app over the weekend, and I made $292 in extra commission because they booked prior to arrival,” he added, noting that 86% of the agency’s clients book excursions.
In the end, Yoder of Be Our Guest Travel Company noted that “upselling isn’t about pushing a more expensive product – it’s about matching the right experience to the travel.”
“Share what clients may not know they’re missing: the access a guided tour might provide that they couldn’t get if they traveled on their own, the pacing of a river cruise and logistics support for all the moving parts of a vacation,” she said.
“When advisors position themselves as curators of experiences – not order takers – upselling becomes a service, not a sales tactic.”
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