A. Ozan Yaman INTERVIEW
A. Ozan Yaman INTERVIEW
While the cruise sector has revived, new routes meet cruise lovers with new ports every day, what do you think about the return of the cruise sector?
After a mandatory break of about 3 years, the cruise sector showed an acceleration beyond expectations. Cruising, which is one of the most value for money and one of the highest quality travel alternatives, will continue to be one of the most preferred international products in the coming period with more promotion and positive feedback from the guests.
Recently, the Vista ship of Oceania Cruises, of which you are the representative, appeared at Galataport. How do you interpret this first interaction?
We took advantage of the ship's arrival and introduced the ship to many of our senior business partners and the press with an invitation.
Oceania Cruises is one of the leading cruise lines with the most luxurious ships in the sector. Vista is the most recently launched ship. Oceania Cruises is one of the companies that include Turkish ports in their programmes. Apart from Istanbul, their ships also visit Kuşadası, İzmir and Antalya. Its arrival at Istanbul Galataport has a more special aspect. The ship uses Istanbul as the main port, not as an intermediate port. In other words, it makes two overnight stays in Istanbul, disembarks all its passengers here and continues its new programme with new passengers. This is of great benefit to our economy.
How did your passengers react to the long-awaited cruise port Galataport?
Since its opening, Galataport has changed the face of the region where it is located. As a terminal, it has a very interesting architecture as it is located underground. A modern cruise port was one of the great needs of Istanbul and Turkey. Galataport has filled this need more than enough. We know this both from the tourists visiting the city and from the returns of our own guests.
As our readers know, Oceania Vista also draws attention with its signature areas. Can you tell us about the places and features that make Oceania Vista special?
Oceania Vista reflects the common features of the other ships of the cruise line very well. The most important thing is that these ships provide boutique service. Although the ship is large in tonnage, it has a capacity of 1200 passengers. And about 800 personnel serve these passengers. In other words, there are 2 personnel for every 3 passengers, which is a very high ratio. In addition, wider and more comfortable cabins and longer hours in the ports of call are the most important features of Oceania. Oceania Cruises, which has successfully achieved the title of the best cuisine in the seas, has carried this even further on the Vista ship.
Could you give information about Vista's route?
This year, the ship will carry out 10 to 14-day programmes in the Mediterranean. In 2025, Vista is going on a world tour. Its sister ship Allura, which will be launched next year, will fill its void in the Mediterranean.
Which tours are at the forefront among the tours you offer for sale as Interworld?
Currently, our ship sales and river tour sales are neck and neck. We continue our river tours, which are increasingly in demand, by adding different river options. Apart from our private voyages, all of which we rent and serve only Turkish guests, we also have package tours on different dates with a maximum of 25 people accompanied by a Turkish guide. This year we will have options on many different rivers from the Douro River in Portugal to the Rhone River in France.
In the cruise section, we have package programmes including carefully selected dates and destinations from many ship companies, especially Princess Cruises. Mediterranean, Andalusia, Norwegian Fjords and Far East are some of them.
River cruise tours are among your signature routes as Interworld. Your routes are usually a rich culture and art tour and offer a visual feast. Are there any differences regarding river cruises next year?
There will be a change this year regarding our river tours that we have been organising intensively for years. We have realised our sales with many different river companies so far, but one of them has come to the forefront by far with its service quality and the newness of its ships. With the sole authorisation agreement we have made with Lüftner Cruise company, we will continue our way with a company that we trust much more in river tours and that we will be comfortable in serving our guests.
Christmas markets are among the tours that attract great interest. Are your tours selling out this year as well? Are there any innovations waiting for cruise lovers?
Our Christmas markets programme has now become a tradition, so to speak. We even have guests who do the same route several times. This year, we will carry out our Christmas Markets programmes on two separate dates, especially with our Rhine River Special voyages. In fact, one of the voyages is almost full. Apart from the Rhine, we will also have a Christmas market option with a very special track between Strasbourg and Nuremberg. Our guests will have the opportunity to see these two cities, including the largest Christmas Market of the Rhine and Danube, in a single journey.
One of the biggest innovations this year is that our New Year's Eve cruises, which were very popular last year, will be offered separately on the Rhine and Danube. Our programmes, which will spend the New Year's Eve in Vienna on the Danube and Basel on the Rhine, will again be carried out with extremely luxurious river ships.
Can you tell us about the advantages of cruise travelling in the current economic conditions? What is the reaction of travellers to the pricing?
As you know, ships are extremely comfortable and luxurious floating hotels. The biggest advantage of travelling to several countries effortlessly by opening and closing suitcases once. Apart from that, it is a great advantage that full board, internet, tea and coffee and even drinks at dinner are included in some of our ships. Cruise travelling, which used to be thought to be done only when you get old and to be very expensive, has destroyed this meaningless image with the right promotion and increasing number of passengers in recent years. The increasing number of guests in our country every year shows us that we still have a lot of potential here. Cruise travel will continue to prove that it is a form of travel where you get your money's worth in the most accurate way with quality service without any problems. We will continue to offer these products to our guests at the most affordable prices and in a detailed way