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Unique Cruise Solutions The news you need to know |
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Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional |
April 2011 Edition |
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Club Med cruise ship expected to boosts U.S. profile |
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When the five-masted
Club Med 2 yacht docked in Miami for the first time last week, it marked a
symbolic attempt by Club Med to reacquaint Americans with its only cruise ship.
 "We’re
going to invest more in terms of communication because we see more interest,"
said Xavier Mufraggi, president and CEO of Club Med North America. The Club Med 2 has kept a low profile in the North American market during the past few years. Mufraggi noted that typically 90% of the guests on the 372-passenger ship are European. But he said the company was starting to see a subtle shift in source markets, with more U.S. leisure and corporate clients booking, particularly the Club Med 2’s Mediterranean cruises. Despite a limited awareness of the Club Med 2 in the U.S., many agents would recognize the ship as a twin to Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf. The Club Med 2 was built in 1992 in Le Havre, France, in the same shipyard as the Windstar ships. In fact, the Wind Surf was originally the Club Med 1, which was sold to Windstar and renamed in 1998. Mufraggi said the size and draft of the Club Med 2 enable it to access ports that larger cruise ships cannot. And with avid cruisers looking for new experiences, Mufraggi said, U.S. customers are stumbling upon the Club Med 2 as an alternative. "The development of the cruise industry has really helped us," Mufraggi said. Aboard larger ships, "People realized they couldn’t really see the full beauty of the areas [they were visiting]," he said. On the Club Med 2, "you’re going to go into really small towns," he said. The 637-foot Club Med 2 sails the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter, with transatlantic voyages in the fall and spring. It features a 420-square-foot ship owner’s suite and 10 newly redesigned, 380-square-foot suites. It has eight sun decks, an array of sports and watersports equipment, two restaurants and a recently renovated spa. The ship is staffed by a crew of 200. Thus far, Americans have found out about the Club Med 2 through the company’s traditional marketing efforts, such as its annual brochure, as well as through Club Med’s website. But the event in Miami appeared to be the start of a stronger initiative to inform the U.S. market about the Club Med 2. With increased interest from incentive groups, honeymooners and families, Mufraggi said he anticipated that the ship would have greater appeal beyond the ship’s predominantly French clientele. He acknowledged that the Club Med 2 competes with Windstar, which has much stronger penetration in the U.S. market. But Club Med is hoping that features such as all-inclusive drinks and activities will set the ship apart. |
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc. 150 S. University Dr. Ste E, Plantation, FL 33324 - USA Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954 252 3945 EMail: sales@cruiseco.com |
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Designed & Published by: Worldwide Media. |
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