HAL's UK chief Karen Farndell hints at larger fam programme next year
Harry KembleHolland America Line’s UK and Ireland boss has hailed hosting nearly 100 agents on HAL fam trips the highlight of her first year leading the line’s UK team, while hinting there’s likely more to come in her second.
The line has hosted 50 agents on three Alaska fam trip voyages, and another 48 on an 11-day Iberian Adventure sailing that called in Dover on 8 September. Around 350 agents also joined ship visits at five UK and Irish ports this year, with the final ship visit scheduled for October.
Speaking to TTG, Karen Farndell, HAL’s UK and Ireland director of sales and marketing, explained the line’s plan to release details of its expanded 2024 educational programme around the upcoming wave season, which will support its 2025 Dover deployment.
“This year has given us confidence,” she said. “We did have record agent numbers this year, but we would like to try and match the number of places or go higher if we can.”
Farndell said agent feedback following the 2023 educational events had been “strong”, adding: “I’ve been so overwhelmed with how great the feedback has been.
"Now they’ve seen the product, they really get it. They talk about how these trips have helped them grow their sales, which is obviously the end goal for us. The opportunity to experience the product is really valuable.”
In 2025, Pinnacle-class ship Nieuw Statendam will operate 10 round-trip European cruises from Dover, starting with a 14-night Canary Islands itinerary in April. Farndell said next year’s educationals would help “make sure agents are set up to sell Dover sailings in 2025”.
She added HAL was having to work harder than other lines on its profile. “Building up brand awareness is a challenge,” she said. “We don’t have the advantage of being one of the biggest ex-UK operators, like P&O Cruises.
“We have to work hard so agents understand who they can sell the product to. The fam trips and immersive experiences are vital – it gives agents a deeper understanding of the product.”
Asked whether HAL would continue to offer ex-UK departures beyond 2025, Farndell said: “We need to see how the Dover sailings in 2025 progress. It would be great if we could build [HAL’s ex-UK programme] but it’s not for me to say if we’ll expand.”
Farndell, who joined HAL from Princess Cruises last September, revealed she was initially unaware her bosses were going to shift the UK market focus away from solely offering fly-cruises.
“Our ex-UK discussions began in spring as a collaborative conversation about how we could support growth in the UK,” she revealed. “It’s nice to have these sailings to offer guests that do not want to fly.”
Farndell said offering cruises from Dover gave agents another option, stressing the ex-Southampton market was “very established”.
“I’m confident we can make a success of the Dover sailings,” she added. “They’ve been on sale for a month, and the reaction has been what I’d hoped for.
"There’s definitely an appetite for the product. Nothing has sold out yet, so there’s a lot of opportunity for agents.”
Kerrie Reed joined HAL as UK marketing manager from Ordnance Survey in August, previously spending 15 years with Carnival UK. There are currently no plans to expand HAL’s seven-person UK team further.
However, Farndell said growth was on her mind. “Maybe next year, we’ll grow the team. I would like to expand.”
Read more: Seven ways to sell HAL now the line is returning to the UK
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