Cruise1st's 'interactive' concept store to open next month

According to the cruise specialist agency, the new shop housed in the city’s Lowry Shopping Centre, will become the UK’s “largest dedicated cruise store” and the first of its kind in the country when it welcomes customers from January 9.

The shop will be open seven days a week and among its features, includes the use of virtual reality headsets to allow shoppers to “immerse themselves into the world of cruising” and take 3D tours of ships, resorts and hotels.

The store will also include touchscreen monitors with which consumers can research and plan their holidays and a team of “expert” cruise agents to help customers select the right cruise getaway.

Dan Townsley, Cruise1st chief executive said: “Cruise is a complex product [and] our research shows that while cruise brands are changing the language and trying to make the cruise concept simpler and more logical to the consumer, consumers often find researching and choosing the right cruise confusing and complicated, especially new to cruise, which is a vital market for our industry.

“Getting new to cruise [customers] is a difficult challenge and we feel that personal face to face service is the way to do it.

“Our aim of launching the UK’s first cruise concept store is to gain new to cruise to our database and cultivate these relationships, as well as to provide the expertise and support for our growing database of customers who are looking for a more intense cruise experience [such as] land tours around India, waterfalls in Venezuela, the Terracotta Army and Great Wall China tours.

"These are difficult to sell via the internet as consumers feel more confident booking these high ticket, extended destination cruises with the peace of mind that they can sit in front of somebody and ask any questions they may have before committing.

“The travel industry has gone towards digital, however specialists have not and customers, especially new to cruise, value specialist knowledge and the reassurance of face to face advice and support.”