Qantas makes move into cruise market

Qantas makes move into cruise market
By admin


Qantas has made its first foray into the cruise market after signing a long term commercial deal with online specialist Cruise Guru.

Qantas Cruises will go live on Qantas.com today and will be powered by Cruise Guru via its technology platform, Cruise Choice.

Product will feature 17 cruise lines and 10,000 itineraries and offer real time availability and instant confirmation. Qantas frequent flyer members will earn one point for every dollar spent.

The move, announced on board Celebrity Solstice yesterday in Sydney, is acknowledgement from Qantas that it should be tapping into a sector which has shown significant and consistent growth in Australia in recent years, both for domestic and international cruising.

A 12-month marketing campaign will begin today, initially focusing on the domestic market before turning to international cruising in March and April.

Promotions will also be launched based on where Qantas needs to promote its network.

Cruise Guru joint managing director, Justin Montgomery, said the partnership brings together the cutting edge technology of Cruise Choice, the cruising expertise of Cruise Guru and the extensive domestic and international network of Qantas and its codeshare partners.

“Cruising is the fastest growing sector in leisure and Qantas is looking for growth opportunities,” he said. “It will take time to build up to critical mass but this has enormous potential."

Montgomery declined to reveal commercial arrangements of the deal or provide target sales figures.

He suggested the lack of sophisticated technology may have hindered an earlier entry into the market for Qantas, a problem he said will be solved by the Cruise Choice technology which also enables consumers to book their cabin of choice.

Montgomery acknowledged that an airline website may not be the natural booking channel for potential cruisers, but said increasing demand for the product presented future growth prospects.

“The same could have been said several years ago about [selling] hotels and car hire through airline websites. The reality is, this is another offering Qantas is putting into the marketplace to support its customers and frequent flyers," Montgomery told Travel Today.

“Ultimately it rounds out a leisure offering from Qantas. They see it as another growth opportunity for their network.”

Cruise lines likes like Disney, which do not have much of a presence in Australia, could particularly benefit given its high brand awareness and the frequency of Qantas flights to the US, he added. 

In addition to providing online booking, Cruise Guru, which only launched in 2012, will provide a call centre for consumers who do not want to complete a booking online or who want advice and reassurance.

“People new to cruising will call the contact centre as maybe they are looking for confirmation about the itinerary and cruise brand," Montgomery said, "They are going to want reinforcement and reaffirmation that they are making the right choice. That is important for the new cruiser.” 

Meanwhile, Cruise Guru will add river cruising to its site over the next two months with more product added as companies link to the Cruise Choice technology.

Management are also in talks with one domestic and two off-shore companies about powering their online booking platforms.

Latest News

  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]

  • Cruise
  • Luxury
  • News

Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit

Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]

  • Luxury

Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa

Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]