TRAVEL agent training is about to reach a new level with the relaunch of the award-winning Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises e-learning programme, Cruising for Excellence online.
The new programme includes 3D environments for agents to explore and learn the key selling points of the ships, almost as if they were onboard.
Since its inception in 2006, Cruising for Excellence online has trained more than 20,000 travel agents, with half of these progressing to the highest tier of the programme.
First developed for the UK and Ireland market, Cruising for Excellence online is celebrating its fifth anniversary by rolling out the e-learning tool into 10 languages.
Helen Beck, regional director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, explains: “The investment in training is exciting for our travel agents. University of WOW was a popular tool in our markets, but was focused only on the Royal Caribbean International brand. We are thrilled to be offering Cruising for Excellence, which encompasses all three brands. The tool allows travel agents to learn at their own pace and to receive recognition based on successfully completing the different modules.”
Highlights of the programme include:
• Interactive, virtual graphic ship environments that allow browsers to take a look around key onboard features;
• 3D virtual environments including ‘real’ people to create a feel for cruising;
• Intuitive and fun navigation;
• Visual training sessions that include quizzes and videos to keep agents motivated and engaged;
• A leader board of top scorers driving a sense of competition between agencies;
• The opportunity to become a brand ‘captain’, the highest achievement in the training programme, so that agents can focus on being a specialist on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises, rather than all three if their business focuses on only one or two of the brands and
• Agents who complete all training modules become the ultimate cruise specialists and gain the ‘admiral’ status.