After adding Flights to its offer in 2019, Booking.com is now expaning its offer even more for customer in the United States, with the launch of a cruise section. “The new offering meets traveler demand in the largest market for cruise bookings globally, representing 58% of the entire industry, and becomes available through a partnership with leading cruise agency World Travel Holdings (WTH)”, the travel platform wrote in a press release on November 9th.
As is the case for the other platforms of Booking Holdings, Cruises will focus – amongst other things – on attractive pricing.
“Key differentiators for Booking.com Cruises are that customers will have access to exclusive offerings and deals on our platform as well as an enhanced onboard spend process. On Booking.com, when travelers make a cruise booking and board the ship, their onboard account will be automatically credited with the spend amount they can use to purchase food, beverages, spa treatments, excursions etc.”, a spokesperson at Booking Holdings told Skift.
According to Booking, a few things make Cruises stand out from its competitors. Travelers will be able to view more than 10,000 sailings on over 30 cruise lines, from over 55 departure ports globally. Deals will be up for grabs year-long and, to celebrate the upcoming Black Friday, Booking.com will be doubling the exclusive spend at sea reward. Moreover, all elements of the trip will be manageable from Booking.com ‘s marketplace and there is even a 110% Best Price Guarantee, “providing customers who find a lower price on another website within 48 hours of booking with Booking.com Cruises a 110% refund of the difference”.
Cruises are big at the moment. By 2027, according to numbers from Travel Pulse, almost 40 million people are expected to take a cruise. On another note, Cruise Lines International Association’s statistics show that 85% of those who have previously taken a cruise, will do so again. Booking.com clearly wants to take part in that success story and aims to make the whole booking procedure as easy as possible.
