3Qs for Cruise Month: Ken Muskat, MSC Cruises

In honor of National Book a Cruise Month, TMR is interviewing executives from across the travel industry. If you would like to be included email us editor@travelmarketreport.com.

Today’s interview is with Ken Muskat, the executive vice president of sales, PR, and guest services for MSC Cruises.

What do you plan to do differently in 2016?

MSC will continue to improve its technology in an effort to provide better support to its travel agent partners and improve the overall customer experience. We’ll continue to gather feedback from travel agents and make enhancements to our new booking engine, MSC Book, so that booking and selling MSC Cruises is as quick and simple as possible for travel agents. We’ll also launch a Travel Agent University to educate travel agents on MSC Cruises as well as grow the travel agent’s overall business (i.e. how to sell groups, tips for focusing on niche markets, etc.).

What do you wish travel agents better understood about selling MSC Cruises?

As we continue to grow in North America, we are working hard to make it as easy as possible for travel agents to book with MSC and get their clients excited about trying a cruise line that offers a unique Mediterranean-style cruising experience, at a great value. This includes the launch of a new loyalty match program in which frequent travelers who have a rewards card from another travel land or sea program can now receive instant status and perks with MSC. In addition, MSC’s “inclusive experiences” pricing structure – which includes options from a la carte to all-inclusive amenities – allows guests to customize their vacation experience to best fit their needs and is an easy way for travel agents to up-sell their clients and earn more commission.

What advice do you have for travel agents selling cruises?

The best (and perhaps quickest) way to improve cruise sales is through group business. Cruise lines are making it easier than ever for agents to focus on groups and earn big. Agents should also look to take advantage of the non-traditional cruise-only sale and leverage the cruise, air, and land packages that cruise lines are increasingly providing that are fully commissionable.