Windstar hopeful new website will help agents introduce the brand to clients
Windstar Cruises hopes to take a major step towards becoming an established player in the UK market following the launch of its new website, the line’s UK and Ireland head of sales Augustus Lonsdale has said.
Featuring information about Windstar, its destinations, ships and time-limited offers, windstarcruises.co.uk will also carry pricing in pounds. Visitors to the website are urged to book via a travel agent or through the line’s UK general sales agent, The Cruise Line.
Lonsdale told TTG: “This investment further cements our commitment to the UK, which is such an important market for Windstar. The biggest challenge when I came into the business last year was our brand awareness. This website is going to help more people in the UK get to know Windstar.
“Now we have a place we can direct agents to. We’ve had larger ship visit programme over the past two years, and we’ve increased the number of trade training videos that we put out.”
Lonsdale highlighted the number of regular agent bookers has “doubled” in the past year. He believes 2025 will be the line’s most successful programme for revenue.
“It’s constant growth on growth,” he added. “Forward business is looking strong. Next year should be our best ever, and we should hit that mark at the start of the year.”
When asked if customers could book directly through the website, Lonsdale said: “Customers can’t book directly through the website, as we want business to come through agents. That’s how we have set up the website. There is no direct booking function currently.”
However, he added: “Direct bookings are a possibility long-term, but my expectation is that Windstar will remain entirely trade-focused in the UK. The website is something we’ve had on our mind, and was the next stage in our agent development.”
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