Future Cruise

Cruise Databank

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ONBOARD DEPARTMENTS

Division:

Responsible:

Guest Services

Guest Services Manager

Introduction

The Future Cruise Department is the ship’s dedicated onboard sales and loyalty hub, serving as the bridge between a guest's current vacation and their next adventure. Unlike other departments that focus on immediate physical products, the Future Cruise team sells anticipation and loyalty. Operating as expert travel consultants, this team identifies "warm leads"—guests who are currently enjoying their cruise—and leverages that positive emotion to secure future bookings through exclusive onboard incentives, reduced deposits, and "instant gratification" perks like onboard credit. It is a sophisticated, data-driven environment where sales expertise meets high-level relationship management, ensuring the cruise line’s long-term passenger retention and revenue stability.

Career Progression

Career Progression: From Consultant to Strategic Leader

Career growth in the Future Cruise department is highly structured, focusing on the transition from sales execution to high-level account management.

Future Cruise Associate / Consultant: The entry point. You spend your days conducting one-on-one consultations, managing a high volume of inquiries, and mastering the complex global itineraries of the fleet. You focus on hitting daily booking targets and building a "lead list."
Senior Future Cruise Consultant: A role for top-tier performers. You take on more complex bookings (such as world cruises or multi-cabin "milestone" groups) and begin to mentor new associates on sales techniques and brand-specific "up-selling."
Future Cruise Manager: The department head. You are responsible for the ship's total booking revenue, managing the department’s promotional calendar (events, desk hours, and "flash sales"), and reporting directly to shoreside revenue teams.
Sales & Loyalty Director (Fleet/Shoreside): A senior or corporate role where you design the global loyalty incentives, manage regional sales strategies, and oversee the Future Cruise programs across an entire fleet.

Success Measures

Success Measures: The KPIs of Retention

In this department, success is measured by Volume, Value, and Loyalty.

Booking Volume & Net Revenue: The primary metric. How many "Next Cruise" certificates or confirmed bookings were generated during the voyage?
Penetration Rate: What percentage of the current passengers on the ship committed to a future voyage? This measures the team's ability to "reach" the guests during their vacation.
Conversion of "Open Deposits": The rate at which "placeholder" bookings are converted into actual assigned voyages. This reflects the quality of the "sell" and the consultant's ability to match the guest to the right destination.
NPS & Guest Loyalty (Loyalty Tier Growth): Success is also measured by the growth of the cruise line’s loyalty club members and the guest’s satisfaction with the "seamlessness" of the booking process.

Required Skills

Key Hard Skills: The Consultant’s Toolkit

Working in Future Cruise requires a technical and analytical skill set that mirrors a high-end travel agency:

GDS & Reservation System Mastery: You must be an expert in the cruise line's internal booking engines (such as Polar, Sabre, or Seaware). This involves managing cabin categories, complex pricing tiers, and international tax regulations.
Itinerary & Geography Expertise: You must have a "mental map" of the world. Hard skills include knowing the seasonal weather patterns, port highlights, and logistics of every itinerary the cruise line offers, from the Baltics to the South Pacific.
Sales Psychology & Negotiation: Mastery of "Consultative Selling." You need the technical ability to overcome objections, compare value propositions against competitors, and create urgency through time-sensitive onboard incentives.
Data & CRM Management: Proficiency in managing Guest Relationship Management (CRM) tools to track leads, follow up on "unclosed" inquiries, and personalize the sales pitch based on a guest’s previous cruise history.

How to Get Ready

Getting Ready: How to Prepare for the Future Cruise Life

Preparing for a contract in Future Cruise requires a "deep dive" into the brand’s global product and a high-performance sales mindset:

The "Fleet Bible" Deep Dive: Before you board, you must memorize the deck plans, cabin configurations, and "Unique Selling Points" (USPs) of every ship in the fleet. You cannot sell what you do not technically understand.
Master the Incentives: Learn the "Fine Print." Prepare by studying the specific terms and conditions of onboard booking credits, combinability of offers, and "Friends & Family" vouchers. Accuracy in the "fine print" is what builds guest trust.
The "Professional Advisor" Look: Future Cruise consultants are seen as professional advisors. Prepare a wardrobe that is "Business-Sharp"—elegant, professional attire that aligns with the high-value transactions you will be handling.
Develop a "Follow-Up" System: Successful consultants are organized. Prepare a system for tracking your "hot leads" throughout the cruise. Whether digital or a physical planner, your ability to follow up with a guest before they disembark is the difference between a "maybe" and a "confirmed booking."

Operational Readiness & Training

The transition is smoother when you leverage digital tools. Our Cruise Retail Academy can provide you with easy to follow mobile device training. Simply visit our sister website www.cruiseretailacademy.com to lean more:

E-Academy: Utilize bite-sized, "TikTok-style" learning platforms to master POS systems and inventory principles before you even step on the gangway.
Knowledge is Confidence: The more you know about the ship's layout and the "wider business" (like shore excursions or the spa), the more confident you will feel when interacting with guests on day one.

Practical Packing for Small Spaces

Living in a shared crew cabin means efficiency is key. While the Academy focuses on professional growth, our experience can help you to prepare the essentials. Visit our Top 10 courses in the E-Academy to learn more!