Capping a year of wins, Sea Cloud nails Virtuoso preferred supplier deal

The newly inked Virtuoso deal follows one with Signature Travel Network, making two powerful distribution partners for this boutique luxury line. Both are feathers in the cap of Kevin Smith, VP sales, within the first year of Hamburg-based Sea Cloud Cruises establishing its US office.

It's not easy for a small brand to get Virtuoso and Signature's attention and considerable resources.

'I knew what it meant for Sea Cloud to be partners with those two, and I just had to have it,' Smith told Seatrade Cruise News.

Good match

Of course, Sea Cloud has plenty to bring to the table, especially at a time when travel advisors are hard-pressed to find luxury inventory anywhere since demand has been so high. (Tourism Economics research has leisure travel at 126% of where it was in 2019. For Virtuoso, the figure is 211%. And in August, Virtuoso reported cruise sales were up 18.4% this year, outpacing other sectors.)

'For us coming in, something that's new to Signature and Virtuoso, a completely new experience they don't have in their portfolio, that matched up well for us,' Smith elaborated. 'Having the availability, being in the luxury sector, being small, visiting the ports we do.' Signature's cruise team appreciated the distinctive itineraries because 'not everybody's going to these places.'

Related:Sea Cloud spices up Puerto Rico cruises with noted guest chefs

And Virtuoso now exposes the three intimate sailing yachts to more than 20,000 luxury travel sellers globally, in coveted markets like Australia, China and all over Europe, in addition to the US.

'It's very exciting. It's huge,' Smith said.

Straight off the bat he'll be speaking at two 'Virtuoso Connects' events, in Halifax and Québec City, Oct. 16 and 17.

'We're the unicorn'

'Both Signature and Virtuoso understand we're new. It all comes down to educating travel advisors and brand awareness. We're the unicorn,' as Smith put it.

One of the ways Sea Cloud has raised awareness is by hosting some 20 media and 40 travel advisors on cruises in the past year. A big New York Times feature particularly got the phones ringing.

A Costa Rica-Panama Canal cruise carrying Signature owners and influential advisors in mid-February saw them returning home, selling and 'spreading the gospel to their peers,' and this led to the preferred supplier deal in May.

Sea Cloud Spirit's Lido Deck PHOTO: SEA CLOUD CRUISES

'Surprise and delight moments'

Smith said the Signature team was impressed with the 'surprise and delight moments' Sea Cloud offers, such as pulling a gigantic tuna out of the water and serving it fresh on Lido Deck, or a beach party in a secluded, alluring spot.

Related:Sea Cloud taps new president, VP sales for US market push

'Signature just fell in love with it,' he said, crediting Julie Howard, VP cruise partnerships, and Cricket Ducat, director, cruise partnerships, 'who understand what we're trying to do and support it.'

Signature business began coming in quickly, both for 2024 when the line still had space in Europe and for the upcoming Caribbean season. A direct mail drop with Signature is going out next month.

Going all-inclusive

Another reason the consortia are keen is because of this all-inclusive product.

'It's a simple message for sales,' Smith said. 'It's going to help the consumers understand us.

'We're adding shore excursions to the mix so everything will be bundled into the cruise fare starting in November — port charges, taxes, gratuities, beverages and, now, shore excursions. And no price change.'

The inclusive fares are for the North America market. Adding tours will provide an excursion, or a choice of excursions, at each destination, with premium tours available for purchase. Tours are crafted around Sea Cloud's 'pillars of importance': history, art, culture, cuisine and wellness.

New sales managers

Since the US office has delivered more than double the sales quota set by Germany for this first year, Smith just expanded his team with two young, energetic sales managers from outside the traditional cruise pool, talent to help Sea Cloud's quest to become a lifestyle brand.

Amy Kreston, with a decade of experience in vacation rentals including luxury villas, is 'extremely smart and hungry, ready to go meet her travel advisors,' Smith said. Based in San Diego, Kreston will cover 10 states in the western US and she just attended her first trade show with Smith.

Macen Stripling, formerly with American Airlines Vacations, impressed Smith at a Signature Oasis Travel Network event where she compellingly asked for travel advisors' business from the stage. Based in Dallas, Stripling will cover 10 states over to Florida and the Carolinas.

While the sales team is set for now, eventually Smith hopes to have coverage in Chicago and New York.

Michelin-caliber cooking

Stripling will be joining Smith and a few travel advisors on Sea Cloud Spirit's Oct. 5 cruise from Nice to Barcelona that carries Michael Collantes, head chef and owner of Soseki, a Michelin-star modern omakase restaurant in his hometown of Winter Park, Florida, and chef/owner of Sushi Saint, Central Florida’s first handroll bar experience, soon opening a New York outpost. He was drawn to the Mediterranean cruise by the chance to source market-fresh fish and produce.

A Filipino, Collantes is going to prepare a special Filipino-inspired menu with the crew (many of them Filipinos) that will be served to guests and crew. This is part of a Sea Cloud tradition with a Filipino feast usually held around the holidays.

New San Juan departures

Stellar chefs, from Puerto Rico, will also be aboard Sea Cloud Spirit's first four new San Juan cruises in early 2025. They'll be cooking regionally inspired dishes. The second voyage just sold out.

'The consortia want immersive, localized experiences. What better way to start than with a chef?' Smith said.

Venice fashion cruise

Sea Cloud is one of the few lines that can send its small ships up the Grand Canal in Venice, where they dock, and overnight, not far from St. Mark's Square.

2025's Venice roundtrips are 'killer itineraries,' in Smith's words. For Sea Cloud Spirit's Aug. 1 voyage, he's curating a fashion cruise. The son of a veteran cruise leader, Bill Smith, known for his style, Kevin inherited his father's fashion sense. He had Stubbs & Wootten design a Sea Cloud shoe, and he's got other designers interested in taking part, including a company that fashions bags from recycled sails, touching on Sea Cloud's own sailing and sustainability message.

As Smith sees it, 'Luxury brands onboard strengthen our database and image.'

Sea Cloud was Marjorie Merriweather Post's original yacht PHOTO: SEA CLOUD CRUISES

International boutique hotel

The US office success means more Americans experiencing what's traditionally been a German-oriented product. Smith touts Sea Cloud as 'like an international, small boutique hotel. You'll be having dinner next to people speaking French. You'll be having dinner next to people speaking German. And some English-speaking people.

'Everyone has a passion to be on the water and under sail.'

'Sell Three, Sail Free'

Any travel advisor can earn the chance be part of this, cruising on the Sea Cloud vessel of their choice — including Marjorie Merriweather Post's original yacht Sea Cloud — through the 'Sell Three, Sail Free' promotion. Sales through August 2025 qualify.

As the Sea Cloud Cruises US team wraps an eventful first year, Smith expressed his appreciation to US President Mirrel Reyes and CEO Daniel Schaefer for their leadership and support. He's pleased that goals for the year were not just met but surpassed and is revved up for further growth.

'I'm really excited,' Smith said. 'Virtuoso's going to skyrocket and Signature's already well on their way.'