Taoticket: Turning ship visits into a business strategy
In today’s cruise market, first-hand product knowledge has become a key driver of sales and of strong, lasting partnerships with cruise lines.
With All Aboard event, now in its second edition following a successful launch in 2024, Taoticket has crafted an innovative approach that blends customer engagement, professional training, and closer collaboration with cruise companies. Far more than a simple open day, this initiative has evolved into a strategic B2B project that transforms ship visits into a tangible investment for the entire value chain.
Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Breakaway-horizon park
A growing format: The 2025 season
The 2025 season began in May and will continue through late September, offering an even richer and more diverse calendar of events. Completed ship visits have already included some of the most prominent vessels in the global cruise industry: Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Breakaway in Naples on May 9; Sun Princess from Princess Cruises in Genoa on May 22; Oosterdam from Holland America Line in Civitavecchia on May 29; and two dates with Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean, on June 11 in La Spezia and June 12 in Civitavecchia. September brings further highlights with Silver Ray from Silversea on September 12 in Genoa and Crystal Symphony on September 15 in Savona. Finally, the grand finale on September 27, 2025 with an exclusive visit aboard Explora II in Genoa—an eagerly anticipated event that concluded the season in style.
Each visit welcomes an intimate group of around 25 participants, a carefully selected mix of loyal customers and travel advisors. Over the course of a few hours, guests explore public spaces and staterooms, experience onboard dining with a dedicated lunch, and receive a Gift Card redeemable toward a future cruise booking. This seamless combination of discovery and incentive elegantly shortens the gap between inspiration and purchase.
Engaging customers and training advisors: A dual purpose
What makes All Aboard truly distinctive is its ability to serve two audiences at once. For customers, the program offers an exclusive preview and a chance to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the ship before booking. Experiencing the ship’s design, dining quality, and onboard vibe first-hand can decisively influence the buying decision, while the Taoticket Gift Card provides an immediate prompt to turn excitement into a reservation.
For the travel advisors and consultants who accompany each group, these ship visits are equally invaluable as an advanced hands-on training opportunity. Walking through the staterooms, sampling the culinary offerings, and observing daily operations provide practical insights no brochure or digital presentation can match. These advisors return to their teams able to share detailed knowledge and concrete sales arguments, ensuring that the experience multiplies its impact across the entire organization. With more precise responses to customer questions and an enhanced ability to tailor suggestions, advisors help raise both conversion rates and the average value of bookings.
Allure ots Resort-style pools
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Strengthening partnerships with cruise lines
From a B2B perspective, All Aboard is also a powerful platform for partnership development. Each visit is the result of close cooperation with cruise lines willing to open their ships for preview tours and to showcase innovations and upcoming itineraries. For the cruise lines, it’s a chance to present their product in an authentic setting, gather immediate feedback from customers and professionals, and create brand ambassadors among top-selling advisors.
For Taoticket, these events solidify its role as a trusted, high-value distribution partner—one that delivers not only sales volumes but also a unique experiential marketing platform. The initiative elevates the relationship beyond simple sales transactions, encouraging joint campaigns, targeted co-marketing efforts, and long-term strategic projects.
A cornerstone of Taoticket’s phygital strategy
Far from being an isolated program, All Aboard is a key element of Taoticket’s broader “phygital” strategy, which seamlessly integrates physical experiences and digital innovation. Alongside an advanced multilingual booking platform capable of handling transactions in numerous currencies, services such as scheduled consultations, and a proprietary generative AI tool that helps travelers find their perfect cruise, Taoticket continues to invest in real-world experiences where human interaction remains central.
This integration of digital and physical touchpoints strengthens the company’s value proposition. The expertise that advisors gain during ship visits feeds directly into marketing content and storytelling, while customers who have lived the onboard experience themselves become natural advocates—ready to share their impressions and book again.
Explora II
Silver Ray
Experience that drives business
With All Aboard, Taoticket proves that first-hand experience is more than a source of excitement—it’s a strategic lever for business growth. By bringing a carefully balanced mix of customers and advisors onboard, Taoticket bridges the gap between curiosity and booking, provides concrete training for its sales professionals, and offers cruise lines a premium stage on which to present their latest innovations.
The final visit of the season aboard Explora II, scheduled for late September, will cap off a program that is already a resounding success and set the stage for future editions and new markets. In an industry where expertise and authentic storytelling make the difference, this combination of customer engagement, professional development, and collaborative marketing confirms Taoticket’s position as a key partner for cruise lines and a pioneer of a new, more dynamic way to sell and experience cruises.
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