Your July 2024 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my July update!

Last month was slightly softer, with several external factors affecting booking demand. The long overdue hot sunny weather in the latter weeks, election fever that has historically negatively influenced customer confidence, and a notable lack of last-minute price reductions in the marketplace have all played a part. Operators are very well sold for 2024 and beyond, resulting in strong prices and very limited deals. I urge anyone looking to travel over the next six months to explore their options sooner rather than later, as there is no indication that waiting will lead to reduced pricing. 

This trend is continuing into 2025, with booking levels significantly higher at this point than at the same time last year. With so many cruise ships operating today, it is remarkable how the industry has grown to such a significant scale. I have often questioned the rationale of building more and more capacity, only to be proven wrong as the market seems to absorb all new capacity.

If you do have your eye on a cruise for 2024 or 2025, there are still a few weeks left on our P&O Cruises hamper offer. If you haven’t already taken advantage of this promotion, we are giving away a complimentary hamper valued at more than £60 when you book selected sailings with the cruise line. The deal applies to Select Price or Early Saver fare bookings made before 31 July, and a full list of the applicable cruises is available online. If there is anything that catches your eye, be sure to give our Cruise Experts a call on 01246 819819.

This isn’t the only offer we are currently running for P&O Cruises. If you book a balcony cabin on selected Mediterranean sailings from Southampton, you will receive £100 off your cruise fare. There is also extra onboard spending of up to £520 on a selection of cruises, which you can view on our website. These offers end on 15 July, so if you are interested in making the most of one of these deals, please give us a call.

I was hoping to share the news that we were operating our new cloud-based telephone system this month. However, the process has not gone as smoothly as we had hoped, and now looks likely to go live in late-July or early August. The upgrade will ultimately enable us to handle your calls more effectively and enhance the already exemplary levels of customer service we provide. It will now be a few more weeks at least until we can fully implement these systems, and I will keep you updated with any further developments.

I am delighted to see our website going from strength to strength with a regular flow of online bookings. It is particularly encouraging that a high proportion of web bookings are from clients new to Bolsover Cruise Club, as well as those who have not travelled with us for quite a number of years. Our team continues to perfect the online content, and we are working hard to introduce two further brands that you can book online. The first will be Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, which we hope to follow with Ambassador Cruise Line soon after. This will mean that almost all UK cruises will be bookable on our website, which has proved to be a huge step forward for us and a great tool to search for your next cruise. Regardless of whether you choose to book with us online, or by giving us a call on 01246 819819, you will still receive the same level of service from our team of Cruise Experts.

On the subject of cruise operators, I am delighted to announce that we are resuming bookings with Marella Cruises, the cruise line of the major tour operator, TUI. With five ships sailing in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Atlantic and North Africa, this brings a significant volume of new opportunities that can also be combined with TUI resort hotels pre- and post-cruise. We are working to include them in our web bookings towards the end of the year but, in the meantime, information and itineraries will be available to browse online and telephone bookings will be available shortly. Look out for further details!

I have previously mentioned passport validity when travelling to Europe, and this remains a source of many calls as clients remain confused. We have found several websites that offer a very useful passport validity calculator. You simply enter your passport details, travel date, and destination, and it will let you know if yours is valid for your intended travel arrangements. While we cannot endorse any third-party website, simply search for ‘UK passport validity checker’ online, and you will find a number of tools to choose from.

One of the most significant new ship launches in the coming days is Utopia of the Seas. Royal Caribbean’s 5,668-passenger ship will become the second-largest in the world, following in the footsteps of Icon of the Seas, which set sail for the first time at the start of the year. The official naming ceremony is due to take place later this month, and my children, Olly and Katie, will be in attendance. I cannot wait to see what Utopia of the Seas has to offer and would urge you to follow us on social media for a first-hand look at what I’m sure is an incredible ship.

You will also see that we have had various other members of our team experiencing some of the products we offer, which enables us to share our knowledge and speak from first hand experience when discussing your cruise requirements. Emma and Sam from our marketing team have returned from cruising around the British Isles on board Viking Sky, and our Administration Manager Wayne has just set sail on Fred. Olsen’s Bolette. Both of these remain popular cruise lines among our Cruise Club Members, and you can see their thoughts on their time on board by following our Facebook account.

Since my last update, I am delighted to announce we have once again been nominated for the prestigious British Travel Awards. We are in the running for ‘Best Travel Agency for Cruise Holidays’ and, as the largest consumer-only voted travel awards in the UK, the winner will be determined by you, our customers. Voting is easy; all you need to do is fill in the online form and your vote will be registered – there are also various prizes up for grabs, so please take a look. 

We are also hoping to be shortlisted for this year’s Wave Awards in the Favourite Cruise Travel Agent category – you can cast your vote for these awards (and be in with a chance of winning a Fred. Olsen cruise) by clicking here. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the entire team at Bolsover Cruise Club to thank all our customers for your ongoing support; we are extremely proud to have been nominated for these awards, and without you, this would not have been possible.

Those of you who are signed up to receive our Into the Blue magazine should soon receive a copy of our July/August edition. As always, it is packed with plenty of cruise inspiration, with a main feature that focuses on some of the most fascinating destinations across Northern Europe, all of which are just a short cruise away. We have also included a first look at the newest Cunard ship, Queen Anne, which I was fortunate enough to experience myself a matter of weeks ago. If you don’t already receive Into the Blue and would like a copy through your letterbox, please sign up here and we’ll be sure to add you to our mailing list.

Once again, thank you for following my updates. I wish everyone travelling over the next month Bon Voyage and have a great holiday.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Wilson