A travel agent has secured a Crystal cruise booking worth £94,000 after his agency group signed a new agreement with the upmarket operator.
Stuart Dales, who works for The Cruise Specialists, part of Barrhead Travel Group, made the booking on Valentine’s Day for a regular customer who’s booked about 25 cruises with him over the past 12 years.
This is the first Crystal booking he’s made for his client since the original Crystal Cruises brand stopped operating, in February 2022.
It was resurrected in 2023 after two ships were bought by A&K Travel Group but the new Crystal operation has only recently signed a partnership agreement with Barrhead.
Stuart told Travel Gossip: “I’ve booked cruises for this customer for about 12 years, including on the original Crystal Cruises and I’ve also booked her Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Celebrity Cruises over the years that Crystal was not operating.
“She was on board another Crystal cruise at the time of booking – but one she had booked that one directly, as we did not have an agreement with Crystal at the time she booked it.
“I let her know a couple of months ago that our contract with the ‘new’ Crystal was up and running and she messaged me when she was onboard to say she was interested in a particular cruise and asked what I could do for her on it.
“I let her know and she booked it. It was all more or less done and dusted over a 48-hour period as this customer does not hang around.
“I’ve booked her on about 25 cruises, maybe more, as at the start she was doing two or three smaller sailings a year but more recently has moved to longer itineraries.”
Stuart said the booking is for the client, her husband and two friends who they regularly travel with. He’s not able to give any more details about the booking.
Crystal Vice President Trade Sales UK & EMEA Luke Smith said: “What makes this really special is that it wasn’t a world cruise booking, which is generally high value. It’s great to see a UK agent getting their loyal past guests confirmed and maximising their revenue and commission earning opportunities.
“We are absolutely delighted to see this outstanding booking confirmed so soon after signing a contract with the Barrhead Travel Group,” he added.
“It demonstrates not only the strength of our partnerships with key agents like Stuart Dales, but also the enduring loyalty of our guests, who continue to place their trust in Crystal as we enter this exciting new era.
“We look forward to building on this momentum and supporting our trade partners in securing many more exceptional Crystal journeys for their clients.”
The Cruise Specialists Director Russell Adamson said: “We are so pleased to have Crystal ‘on board’ as one of our valued supplier partners.
“To see such an incredible booking from the get-go is an example of what can be achieved when our talented people and exceptional products come together. We look forward to many more standout sales stories across the coming months and years as our relationship with Crystal continues to grow.”
