Luxury meets luxury as Riverside Luxury Cruises accepted as a Virtuoso preferred partner

Riverside Luxury Cruises is celebrating following the announcement that it has been accepted into Virtuoso’s portfolio of luxury travel partners – a portfolio that is comprised of 2,500 preferred suppliers in 100 countries.

Jennifer Halboth, CEO of Riverside Collection Americas made it clear that inclusion in Virtuoso will present new sales and marketing opportunities to the network’s luxury travel advisors and their highly desirable clientele.

Halboth told Travel Press Today that: “This new relationship with Virtuoso gives us access and visibility with some of the world’s most prominent luxury travel advisors, worldwide. Virtuoso is synonymous with luxury travel and Riverside is quickly becoming synonymous with luxury river cruising.”

And considering that Virtuoso agencies worldwide sell an average of (U.S.) $35 billion annually — making the network the most significant player in luxury travel – it’s not surprising that Halboth and the team at Riverside Luxury Cruises is celebrating the announcement.

Said Halboth: “Virtuoso’s acceptance process is incredibly selective, so becoming a preferred partner is a true honour.”

One of the things that Halboth mentioned was that Riverside’s ‘bespoke approach to service is a perfect fit for Virtuoso member agencies,” telling TPT that: “I think the key to being bespoke is delivering your brand in an authentic way that only you can. It can’t be replicated. The words I hear echoed back from advisors, travel writers and guests when it comes to our service is authentic, engaging, sweet, sincere, attentive, creative and kind.”

She continued: “From the crew secretly surprising guests with two beautifully wrapped Starbucks cups (that the guests missed in the last port), to the restaurant manager creating a special menu page featuring a drawing of pasta and a unicorn for a five year old guest, to simply always being there with a smile and a “what can I help you with dear sir or madam” –  many of the bespoke moments are made possible by the interaction of a specific guest and one of our curious and committed to success crew members.”

And Halboth added: “The reputation Virtuoso member agencies have for outstanding dedication to their clients is a perfect fit with our own bespoke approach to service.”

Asked whether that ‘bespoke approach’ was one of the reasons that Riverside was selected as a Virtuoso preferred partner, Halboth was quick to reply: “Most definitely. The other top reasons are our flexibility (pricing structure, shorter cruises, choice on board) and that we deliver an unrivaled culinary experience that will absolutely appeal to today’s luxury traveller.

Riverside Collection Americas’ CEO also noted that: “Now that we’re part of this renowned network, we look forward to offering Virtuoso advisors and their clients the special amenities, values and experiences that surpass their expectations.”

In terms of new sales and marketing opportunities, Halboth told TPT: “We will be able to connect with more advisors at once at Virtuoso events, we’ll offer a Virtuoso exclusive amenity on all sailings, we will be participating in Virtuoso marketing, particularly B-to-B-C.”

Overall, Riverside’s acceptance into Virtuoso gives it direct relationships with the world’s leading leisure travel agencies in North and Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.

Sail on over to www.riverside-cruises.com for more.