Written By: Jos Dewing, Managing Director, Voyages to Antiquity
In 2009, drawing upon his experience as the successful founder of Ocean Cruise Line, Pearl Cruises and Orient Lines, cruise industry veteran and entrepreneur Mr. Gerry Herrod set out to create a culturally immersive experience that would transport travelers into the history and cultures of the Mediterranean and Europe.
Enter, Voyages to Antiquity.
Since then, Voyages to Antiquity has carved a respected niche within the industry, consistently and successfully competing with larger cruise lines to much critical acclaim – most recently, Voyages to Antiquity won Best for Enrichment 2015 from Cruise International, as well as Best for Enrichment at the 2016 Wave Awards.
So how do we do it? True, with the backing of an industry veteran like Mr. Herrod we had the advantage of 30+ years of experience behind us. But in today’s travel climate and geopolitical situation, it takes much more than experience to drive a brand to success.
I firmly believe that Voyages to Antiquity owes its success to a combination of two factors – our commitment to the excellence of our cruises, and the dedicated travel professionals who continuously spread the word about our unique product.
With a product like ours, visualizing and relaying the full experience is crucial to successfully marketing a Voyages to Antiquity cruise to your clients – so sit back, relax and let me paint the picture for you.
Small-Ship Cruising at its Best
Step onboard premium-class Aegean Odyssey and you are instantly transported into a world that is as comfortable as it is elegant, as friendly as it is refined. Guests are united in their passion for the destinations that will be explored and the enthusiasm for the experience ahead – this instant camaraderie among like-minded travelers creates and sustains a pleasant, relaxing ambiance that is the perfect setting for the remarkable journey ahead.
The flexibility of open-seating dining in a choice of two restaurants furthers the relaxed onboard experience. Guests are free to dine when they wish and with whom they wish – whether they opt for the Terrace Café or the slightly more formal Marco Polo restaurant, a feast of regionally-inspired cuisine prepared with only the best local ingredients is on the menu.
Originally a vessel carrying up to 570 passengers, Aegean Odyssey was remodeled to accommodate a maximum of 350 passengers, allowing for generously sized staterooms and public areas. This gives guests the best of both worlds – the more intimate experience of traveling with a small group and the added comfort of spacious accommodations.
Aegean Odyssey’s ideal size is also perfectly suited for coastal cruising to the small inlets of the Mediterranean that larger ships simply cannot reach. It also allows her to offer a unique combination of ocean and river cruising, sometimes on the same itinerary! Cruising the incomparable French Riviera or sailing the Guadalquivir River to moor in the heart of Seville are breathtaking memories that will stay with you forever.
Instead of a casino or nightclub, guests enjoy musical performances in the Charleston Lounge, lively conversations with fellow passengers, and soothing treatments at the Athena Health Spa.
Onboard Enrichment
Of course, the crux of onboard activity and that little something special that rounds out the enriching Voyages to Antiquity experience is the Guest Speaker program. Accompanying each cruise are expert lecturers and scholars from around the world, carefully selected for their expertise in the regions visited. The informative and enlightening talks by these accomplished historians, archaeologists and professors not only entertain guests, but also bring to life the destinations visited on the cruise, thus creating a seamlessly immersive experience, whether the passenger is on board or in port.
An Award-Winning Experience
If the onboard lecture series is the appetizer – an intellectual hors d’oeuvres of sorts – then the shore excursions included with each itinerary are a superb main course.
During all included tours, our expert guides share their knowledge with the group using QuietVox headsets. This remarkable technology allows guests to hear the guide clearly, even at the busiest sites.
Again, that little something extra – select itineraries offer exceptional highlights available only through Voyages to Antiquity, such as an exclusive private tour of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice or a private visit to the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens.
There are some ports in which even the most comprehensive tour simply does not do the destination justice. Instead, like a fine wine, these remarkable cities must be savored. It is for this reason that Voyages to Antiquity includes extended stays and overnights in key ports. Here, Aegean Odyssey acts as a floating hotel, allowing guests to enjoy as much time as possible in these unforgettable locales.
Bookending each cruise and rounding out the immersive experience are pre- and post-cruise hotel stays. Guests are treated to exclusively 4- and 5-star hotels in Europe’s greatest cities – the perfect way to begin and end a journey of this caliber.
Fostered Friendships Means Repeat Bookings
Each aspect of a Voyages to Antiquity cruise is designed to encourage friendship amongst our passengers. We believe this is why our cruises are so popular with those traveling solo. The 26 dedicated single occupancy cabins available in a variety of inside, outside and balcony cabins certainly help, but the feeling of welcome and inclusion goes well beyond accommodations.
The full schedule of shore excursions and lectures keeps travelers engaged, and our shore excursion procedure means that guests will be grouped with the same passengers on each tour – the perfect environment for making new friends. Our open-seating dining policy furthers this friendly atmosphere.
Once a passenger has sailed with Voyages to Antiquity, they become an esteemed Odyssey Club member. Year after year, guests return to cruise with Aegean Odyssey and reunite with friends they’ve made during past travels. The annual reunion cruise gives Odyssey Club members a very special experience with exclusive events and private excursions to which only Odyssey Club members are privy.
Odyssey Club members are welcomed on each cruise with an exclusive cocktail party, the perfect chance to mingle with fellow past passengers and yet another opportunity to connect with like-minded travelers.
As a sincere thank you for their return patronage, Odyssey Club members also receive special discounts on all itineraries – an excellent selling point for a return voyage.
Extraordinary Value
The inclusive nature of our packaging and pricing makes the booking process a breeze. Rates for our cruises include:
- Pre- and post-cruise hotel stays
- Expert-led shore excursions
- Overnights and extended stays in port
- Onboard guest lecture series
- All meals on board with open-seating dining
- Wine with dinner on board (beer or soft drinks if preferred)
- Onboard gratuities
The low-cost economy airfare add-ons available through Voyages to Antiquity make booking the whole trip possible with just one call, and our friendly guest services professionals are readily available to help every step of the way.
We know that often times the key to keeping your clients happy is flexibility – whether your client wants to forego the included hotels or combine three itineraries into one amazing voyage, our flexible package options allow you, the agent, to customize the experience for your client in an easy and straightforward manner.
Global Reach, Local Leadership
Those familiar with the Voyages to Antiquity brand may be aware of how the company has evolved over the past few years, including a brief restructuring of the US sales and marketing arm so as to better establish a local foundation for the brand.
In February 2016, I had the great privilege of announcing that our Fort Lauderdale, Florida office has been reestablished as our North America headquarters. The dedicated professionals in our Florida office provide clients and trade partners alike with all the information and tools necessary to make your Voyages to Antiquity experience a great one, from sales support and marketing initiatives to reservations assistance.
Led by our global headquarters in Oxford and complemented by strong representation in Canada, Australia and South Africa, the global Voyages to Antiquity brand has never been more united. This marks the beginning of a new phase of development for Voyages to Antiquity, and we are truly excited for you to make the journey with us.
Translating Knowledge into Sales
The Voyages to Antiquity Luminary Program, a self-study certification course, was launched in 2014 with the hopes of providing travel professionals with the in-depth brand knowledge they needed to successfully sell our product.
Since then, hundreds of agents have become Certified Luminary Experts. With this certification comes a slew of added benefits, including bonus commissions, exclusive offers and advance notice of new promotions.
In the coming weeks, we’ll take this program to the next level with the launch of an interactive agent-centric website that expands the Luminary Program into a user-driven series of educational modules and real-time testing of product knowledge. This hub will also include marketing materials and company news, keeping agents up-to-date and armed with everything needed to close a Voyages to Antiquity sale. I encourage you to keep an eye out for this launch.
Finally, the last and most important detail of the Voyages to Antiquity picture I’ve painted for you – our guests. So, how do you identify a client as a potential match for Voyages to Antiquity? Our passengers cruise with us for something unique, something enriching – a culturally immersive experience that satisfies their curious spirits and leaves them with memories to last a lifetime.