TravTalk India Online Magazine
RW CruiseBuddy, an initiative by the India team of Resorts World Cruises, received enthusiastic response from its Indian travel partners. It is an innovative B2B portal designed to empower them and enhance their collaboration with the cruise liner. Naresh Rawal, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Resorts World Cruises, shares more information.
Hazel Jain
Naresh Rawal, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Resorts World Cruises, says India has been a prominent source market for them. “It is by far one of the larger contributors for the Genting Dream out of Singapore. India is a fly-cruise segment for us, and shows very strong demand, not only from the FIT perspective but also due to repeat business from our corporate clients,” he says, adding that, “This is because of the flexibility and service we provide.”
Resorts World Cruises recently launched RW CruiseBuddy, a web portal that offers a marketing resource centre with promotional materials and resources for travel partners to boost marketing efforts and drive customer engagement. A special reward point system has also been introduced via the portal where travel partners earn valuable points with every booking. “Since its launch, RW Cruise Buddy has garnered significant interest from our partners and the uptake has been strong and encouraging, reflecting the value that RW CruiseBuddy brings to their business operations. It was created because all our travel partners – more than 7,000 across India – had one big problem. They had to reach out to our PSAs for every quotation, and make seven or eight different calls to get one quotation. RW CruiseBuddy seamlessly connects our travel partners with us and our PSAs with a click,” Rawal explains.
“This allows them access to the inventory and the best available fare. They can also access the resource centre from where they can download videos, images, flyers, and presentations to show clients. We also incentivise our travel partners on every single booking they make with us,” he adds.
Groups are loving cruising
Rawal observes an uptick in interest for cruising among groups, particularly M!CE, weddings, and social events like birthdays and anniversaries. “M!CE in 2023 came back very strongly. It has been a huge contributor to business. We will also be launching a few thematic cruises, which would possibly include Indian food festivals onboard and Bollywood performances,” shares Rawal. For group bookings, they offer travel partners exclusive benefits and amenities tailored to the needs of the group. These may include dedicated group dining arrangements, private event spaces for meetings or gatherings, and curated shore excursions.
The cruise liner specialises in two and three-night itineraries. The Genting Dream out of Singapore offers various itineraries to ports in Malaysia and Thailand.
Weddings at sea
Many are discovering the uniqueness and convenience of having weddings on a cruise ship as well. Rawal shares, “We have noticed an increasing interest in couples choosing to celebrate their special day aboard our ship, as it offers the opportunity to host their ceremony, reception, and even honeymoon in one location. We have an experienced wedding planning team that works closely with couples to cater to the their demands onboard.
