Crystal, the leader in exceptional cruise experiences, recently hosted its largest-ever UK travel advisor fam trip, welcoming 42 Travel Counsellors onboard Crystal Serenity for a seven-night Gold Trip sailing from Venice to Athens that provided them with an immersive introduction to the Crystal brand and its luxury onboard experience.
Joining the group were members of the Travel Counsellors leadership team, including Karen Morris, engagement director; Chris Barker, director of digital products; Victoria Fox, director of communications; and Emma Wallace, events manager. The trip was hosted by Luke Smith, Crystal’s VP of trade sales – UK & EMEA, and Michael Young Richards, Crystal’s key account manager UK & Eire. Bryony Boulter, A&K’s head of trade sales, also joined the trip, hosting the group during a pre-night stay in Venice which included a showcase of the Four Points by Sheraton Venice Mestre.
During the cruise, advisors had the opportunity to experience Crystal Serenity’s extensive range of dining and entertainment, with each Travel Counsellor enjoying an individual dine-around programme covering all of the ship’s speciality restaurants including Umi Uma, the only restaurant at sea by world-famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa; Beefbar, a collaboration with visionary restaurateur Riccardo Giraudi; and Osteria d’Ovidio in collaboration with the Michelin-starred Alajmo brothers, who were also onboard the sailing hosting special events for guests. The programme also included a private ship tour, a group dinner and a series of hosted events, including welcoming and closing parties and a lively karaoke evening in Pulse nightclub, as well as a pickleball tournament with a trophy for the winning advisor.
Travel Counsellors’ Gold Trips recognise their top performing business owners. As part of the programme, Crystal Serenity hosted the Travel Counsellors’ Gold Conference, which featured presentations from Crystal, A&K and Travelport. The conference also included special celebrations recognising both new-to-Gold Travel Counsellors and those who have been part of the Gold programme for many years.
Luke Smith, Crystal’s VP of trade sales – UK & EMEA, said: “Hosting 42 Travel Counsellors onboard Crystal Serenity was a real milestone for our UK trade programme and was yet another step on the journey to fulfil my pledge to become the most trade-friendly ultra-luxury cruise line in the market. We wanted this to be much more than simply a fam trip, so we created a programme that gave the Travel Counsellors a genuine taste of the Crystal experience – from our culinary offering to our service, entertainment and incredible attention to detail. Hosting the Gold Conference onboard also enabled us to combine business, learning and networking with the chance to relax and enjoy the ship. We are incredibly grateful to the Travel Counsellors leadership team for joining us and for their continued partnership, and we look forward to seeing the impact this experience has on their clients and their businesses.
Karen Morris, Travel Counsellors’ director of TC engagement, adds: “Gold Trips are an important way for us to recognise the passion, dedication and commitment of our Travel Counsellors, but the best part is the opportunity they create for our community to come together. It was an absolute privilege to spend time with such a special group of people, sharing ideas, learning from one another and building stronger relationships with our valued supplier partners. It is this sense of community that makes us stronger and helps us work better together for our customers.
“Crystal Serenity was the perfect setting for this experience. Our Gold Travel Counsellors were able to discover Crystal’s service first-hand, while enjoying an amazing programme of learning, networking and celebration. We are grateful to Crystal, Abercrombie & Kent and Travelport for making the week so memorable and valuable.”
To book any of Crystal’s exceptional itineraries, contact your travel advisor, visit crystalcruises.com or call 0808 175 0350.