Global Cruise Brand: Strengthening International Appeal in the Travel Market

Multiple Cruise Lines

Objective:

A major global cruise company wanted to increase its market share in international markets. While the brand is a household name among families in the United States, it struggled to resonate with European travelers. Leadership needed deeper insight into travel agent perceptions and actionable guidance on how to adapt the brand for a global audience. To win globally, the brand needed data driven insights and a refined narrative that felt relevant and inclusive.

Challenge:

Breaking into new regions required navigating cultural nuances, language barriers, and legacy brand associations. Through daily interaction with travel agents, several obstacles became evident:

• US-centric messaging did not translate across European markets

• Brand awareness was lower than expected among non-US families

• Travel agents needed more clarity on value, itineraries, and benefits

• Scaling marketing into multiple languages across Europe would be costly and fragmented

Aerial Cruise View

Strategy:

Partnering with the London sales team, we served as a central point of contact between the brand and more than 200 travel agents. Our work focused on understanding perception gaps and helping the brand reposition itself for international travelers. Key actions included:

• Became the primary face of the travel agent communication line

• Identified recurring themes and gaps in understanding

• Coordinated cruise ship tours for 200+ travel agents, improving firsthand product familiarity

• Streamlined internal and external processes to eliminate friction in event execution

• Designed and administered a survey to 200 agents and extracted insights that became the foundation for narrative refinement

• Contributed to the creation of an online travel agent education program used across Europe

Approach:

We centered on structuring insights into a strategic direction.

• Elevated recurring questions into clear content needs for the marketing team

• Helped shape a unified narrative for Europe, emphasizing cultural nuance and value clarity

• Advised on whether to translate messaging market by market or unify around a single European strategy

• Strengthened coordination between sales, marketing, and agent teams

Results:

The project showed how on the ground insight, cultural understanding, and travel agent engagement can accelerate international adoption. By pairing research with real world conversations, the brand gained the clarity it needed to compete globally and strengthen its presence in the European cruise market. The engagement created measurable improvements in these areas:

• Increased agent confidence and clarity around itineraries, pricing, and value

• Insights directly reshaped messaging frameworks used across Europe

• Stronger interest from travel agents in promoting the brand to their clients

• More efficient communication workflows through reduced friction

• Early validation that travel trade marketing and cultural adaptation were essential growth levers