Every luxury cruise line company needs a detailed marketing plan in order to succeed. Tourism trends and ideas from the hotel industry are common sources of inspiration for each cruise line company. In this blog post, we’re going to cover several marketing tips that may result in more bookings and higher profits. Before you know it, your cruise line’s vacations will be at full capacity and stand out within this niche market. Now, let’s dive in!

Cruise Line Company Examples 

The hospitality industry comprises one cruise line company after another. However, some are definitely more popular than their rivals. Here are some of the most popular cruise line companies:

• Royal Caribbean 
• Disney Cruise Line
• Celebrity Cruises 
• MSC Cruises 
• Princess Cruises
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Carnival Cruise Line 

Each cruise line company mentioned above is a stellar option in their own right. Typically, cruise ship management practices allow the whole crew to work tirelessly and efficiently. Meanwhile, features like cruise ship food are exceptional.  

8 Cruise Line Company Marketing Ideas

Looking for creative ways to market your cruise line company? The following list will provide you with eight ideas to build your next marketing strategy. Check it out below:

1. Advertise the Cruise Ship Food Menu

Maybe you’re trying to market a cruise line with organic food. Or, perhaps the cruise line company is able to accommodate a lot of dietary restrictions. Either way, promoting the different menu types can be helpful. After all, food and drinks are some of the best highlights on a vacation.

If your cruise line company has accolades that claim it’s the best cruise line for food, promote these forms of recognition. Statements from credible sources are trustworthy. Plus, it might prompt other critics to review the cruise line. 

2. Offer Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences

There’s nothing more innovative than promoting a high tech cruise ship with VR functionalities. Online shoppers can view different parts of the ship in 3D. This would give future passengers a clear picture of the ships and features.

This feature can also help future guests decide which room will be right for them. Since this helps vacation goers make smarter decisions, implementing this can help turn your company into the best cruise line for families. 

3. Create An Email Marketing Strategy

An email marketing strategy is essential for a cruise line company. There are so many cruise vacations that travel around the world every month, which means that options are endless. So, it’s vital that you have a direct line of communication with your past travelers and future passengers.

It’s also a great idea to integrate the email list and the cruise booking software. That way, you’ll automatically collect email addresses as people book reservations. It’s that simple, and will exponentially increase the size of your email list(s) in no time.

4. Share User-Generated Content

Social media and customer reviews are some of the most powerful marketing tools. Once you receive the user’s permission, we encourage you to share their content on social media. Since it’s coming right from the customers, it functions similarly to word-of-mouth marketing.

When shoppers can see what people have to say about a company in an un-sponsored post, it’s much more genuine. Plus, it seriously broadens the amount of collateral you have access to. Considering how many people share content about their vacations, it’s definitely a route worth looking into.

5. Plan Themed Cruise Vacations 

When you really stop and think about it, cruise vacations are thematic on their own. It’s a mix of world travel, exotic drinks, and fine dining. In most cases, warmer weather is also part of the equation. But what if cruise lines decided to get more specific with the theme of each trip?

Themed itineraries are not something that every cruise line offers. The closest thing to a themed cruise would probably be the vacation packages with Disney Cruise Line. So, it would certainly make your cruise line company stand out against the competition.

6. Host Contests Online

Contests are a great way to generate excitement and anticipation about vacations. Plus, they often create a sense of exclusivity. The best part? Hosting them online is easy and cost-effective. 

Promote that the cruise line company is hosting some kind of giveaway. This could be a free pass for an excursion, a complementary drink package, or an entire vacation. Then, require that participants share the visual asset in order to enter. This way, the brand will circulate hundreds, if not thousands of profiles. 

Or, the cruise company can create an integrated form on their website that collects email addresses. Then, this is how you can select and contact a winner. This route is a bit more professional, too. The best part of this idea is that it can help grow an email list. Just ensure that you’re granted permission from the participants. 

7. Conduct Influencer Partnerships

Social media personalities sustain their careers by securing partnerships with brands. Any cruise line company can work closely with the travel sector of influencers (see: influencer vs entrepreneur). This idea is a sure way to make a cruise line mainstream. 

Content creators can work with cruise lines to partake in vacations while sharing their experience online. This would entail collateral like daily vlogs and photos. Partnerships are ideal for both parties, as one is making an income while the other is being promoted to a very loyal follower base.

8. Host Online Q&A Webinars

With social media and web conference apps like Zoom, it’s easier than ever to host conversations online. Q&As and webinars are also great to stir up customer engagement. And since vacations are something to look forward to, online events are more enjoyable for future guests. 

It would be ideal to promote webinars after several paid ads have run their course. This way, you can specifically target users that are searching for cruise-related topics. That way, you won’t end up wasting money on ads by targeting people who are already knowledgeable about such vacations.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Cruise Line Company

A cruise line company can benefit quite a bit from thorough marketing initiatives. However, it’s vital that upper-level management and the cruise director have a clear understanding of the entire industry. Want more insight? Read on for a more general overview of the modern cruising landscape!

What Is the Biggest Cruise Line Company?

As of 2023, the biggest cruise line company is Carnival Corporation. However, don't confuse this with Carnival Cruises. This corporation is a parent company of several cruise lines. To name a few, Carnival Cruises, Holland America, and Princess Cruises are a few brands under the parent company. In total, Carnival Corporation has over 100 ships.

What Are the Main Cruise Ship Companies?

The main cruise line companies include:

• Royal Caribbean 
• Carnival Cruises 
• Norwegian Cruises 
• Celebrity Cruises 
• Princess Cruises

What Is the Most Successful Cruise Line Company?

The most successful cruise line company is Carnival Cruise Line. The industry giant has a fleet of 25 massive ocean liners. And, they’re constantly building new vessels. With this in mind, they carry the most passengers throughout the world each year.

What Are the Three Largest Cruise Lines?

The three largest cruise lines are:

1. Carnival Corporation
2. Royal Caribbean International
3. Norwegian Cruise Line

What Is the Number One Biggest Cruise Ship?

The number one biggest cruise ship is Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. The ocean liner weighs a whopping 236,857 gross tonnes and is 1,188 feet long. It stands tall with 18 decks and can carry a maximum of 6,988 passengers as well as 2,300 crew members.

Marketing Tips for Smooth Sailing 

Operating a cruise line company is extremely expensive. From employing a massive crew for each ship to fueling the vessels, there are many enormous costs. This means that each cruise ship should sail away at full capacity. To achieve such a massive goal, the cruise line company must market the itineraries sufficiently.