ROL Cruise

ROL Cruise
UK & Ireland’s Top Ocean Cruise Agency 2020

This leading cruise agency is now entering its 25th year of trading and, working closely with 18 cruise operators, ROL enjoyed a strong year for ocean cruise in 2019, with turnover growing by 7%.

Europe remains the top-selling destination for ROL’s customers, although more adventurous cruises to destinations like Alaska and South America are also growing in popularity too.

Sales staff undergo weekly training sessions from both product suppliers and head office, ensuring they are fully aware of the latest developments in the ocean cruise market. GoPro cameras are also given to agents attending educational trips to record footage that is later edited by head office and sent to every agent. This gives them a first-hand feel for any ship or destination, far beyond what a training session can provide.

Top-notch customer service is delivered not only by the sales consultants taking the booking, but also by a 40-strong team in head office who add finesse to every detail and special touch.

ROL still relies mostly on the national press to market its holidays and in 2019 boosted its media spend with more adverts and supplements in the search for new opportunities. This increase is mirrored online where more content on its website, including videos, is being used to inspire consumers while more engaging content on its Facebook pages helped it break the 50,000 followers mark in 2019. The feedback garnered from these channels is proving useful, with ROL introducing a biodegradable wrap for its mailed-out monthly cruise in response to customer demand.

The company has also benefited from partnering with television journalist and presenter Jennie Bond as an ambassador for ROL. As well as appearing in a national peaks TV advertising campaign, she also made time to visit ROL’s Essex cruise show last year, which featured 14 cruise operators and was visited by 1,000 members of the public.

The agency’s charitable work remains commendable and involves everything from sponsoring local football teams to making a donation of AU$10,000 in December to the Australian Red Cross in the wake of the country’s fires.

As a result of all of this and more, the agency now boasts a repeat booking rate of 65%.

rolcruise.co.uk