Top Travel Advisors Know Their Numbers

Cruise executives at CruiseWorld 2026 in Fort Lauderdale described the habits that separate the most successful travel advisors from the rest.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cruises

Bold vector-style editorial illustration of a white cruise ship bow beside a concrete pier under bright blue skies, with palm fronds at the edge. — Cruise executives at CruiseWorld 2026 in Fort Lauderdale said top travel advisors set written sales goals, specialize, and track client data. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Sales and marketing executives from several cruise lines shared traits of successful travel advisors during a Masterminds panel at CruiseWorld 2026 in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Panelists emphasized measuring marketing, working with groups, and using client data to guide outreach.

Why it matters

Travel advisors are a major sales channel for cruise lines, so their practices shape how guests are booked and counseled before sailing. Executives tied advisor habits directly to guest satisfaction scores, which affects how cruise lines support agents.

The evidence is verbal testimony from cruise line sales and marketing executives rather than measured survey or sales data. The panel did not provide comparative figures, and it is unclear how the executives assessed which advisors qualify as the most successful.

The players

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line is a major mass-market cruise brand operating ships from North American ports, and its executive Janet Wygert spoke on the panel.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is a global cruise operator known for its freestyle cruising model, and its executive Brennan Quesnele spoke on the panel.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International is one of the largest cruise brands in the world, and its executive Vicki Freed spoke on the panel.

The details

Executives from Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, Seabourn and Holland America, MSC, and Royal Caribbean answered a moderated question about what separates top advisors. Their advice included setting a concrete written sales goal, specializing, acting as influencers with clients, and encouraging multiple future bookings.

Thursday: Masterminds panel held during CruiseWorld 2026 in Fort Lauderdale.

Industry Context

Cruise lines have long relied on travel advisors for a large share of bookings, and executives at CruiseWorld 2026 described more product becoming available for future years than before. The panel's emphasis on client data and multi-voyage bookings reflects how cruise sales have moved toward longer booking horizons.

Travelers working with an advisor can ask whether the agent has written sales goals and how they use client data to plan trips. Booking a future cruise with an advisor who counsels fully before sailing may help set expectations about onboard experience.

The takeaway

Successful advisors treat cruise sales as a measured, ongoing relationship with clients rather than a one-time transaction. Readers who work with an advisor can benefit by asking how that agent tracks goals and follows up before and after a sailing.