How two lines are marketing differently in the Caribbean
Sailing Alaska or Northern Europe may be more associated with a relaxed, mature experience than cruising in the Caribbean, where you'll find more ships equipped with onboard amusement parks and DJs.
And as contemporary cruise ships and private destinations only get bigger and filled with attractions, more upscale brands like Holland America Line are digging into what makes them different.
The line launched an advertising campaign last week intended to remind current and potential guests that they can find a sophisticated and laid-back experience in the Caribbean on Holland America.
At the same time, Cunard is investing more in the region by dedicating a ship to the Caribbean for a full season for the first time. The Queen Elizabeth will arrive in Miami in October.
As Cunard invests more in the Caribbean, it is focusing on making its itineraries appealing to its audience by bringing on a Broadway or West End star for every voyage and offering longer, three-week sailings.
'We really do just put such a heavy emphasis on what that experience is on board, as well as the destinations that we're taking you to,' Cunard's senior vice president of North America commercial operations Liz Fettes told me. 'I think that that's really the 'why': Doing something different in the Caribbean and how Cunard can deliver that different and unique experience.'
Holland America's campaign, 'Refreshingly Free,' is intended to reach the line's core demographics: retirees, empty nesters, couples in their 40s, parents with adult children, and families with young children, chief marketing officer Kacy Cole said.
For repeat passengers, the goal is to remind them of everything that Holland America proudly avoids, be it a bland buffet, amusement park onboard or crowded beach.
'The Caribbean is really owned by, three-, five-, seven-day quick turns. Big ships,' Cole said. 'And that's really not what we're known for, so we really want to own the differentiation.'
While new offerings or campaigns support each of the companies in the hottest cruise market in the world, there's also more to those efforts. For Cunard, for example, there's a desire to deepen its name recognition in North America, Fettes said. Being in the most popular cruise region is key to that.
'I think it's just really important that not only from a consumer perspective but then also from a travel partner standpoint you've got accessibility for people to be able to see your ship, not only in port but also to be able to walk on and do a ship tour,' Fettes said. 'I think us having that consistent season will just bring more notoriety to the brand that truly is needed in the North America market.'
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