The point of difference argued between APT and Scenic Tours has shifted from balconies to beverages and butlers. TWO weeks after Scenic Tours declared it would introduce all-inclusive European river cruises next year, with free drinks available all day (CW, 01 May), APT has matched the offer. But APT’s “service...
The point of difference argued
between APT and Scenic Tours
has shifted from balconies to
beverages and butlers.
TWO weeks after Scenic Tours declared it
would introduce all-inclusive European river
cruises next year, with free drinks available all
day (CW, 01 May), APT has matched the offer.
But APT’s “service enhancement” only
includes beverages on its ‘Platinum’ cruises,
which target Australians and New Zealanders.
Announcing the change to its recently
launched Europe River Cruising 2013 brochure,
APT general manager marketing Debra Fox said
the company “was delighted to offer Platinum
guests a selection of soft and alcoholic drinks
for consumption on board at their discretion
during the cruise, as the mood takes them”.
Fox refuted suggestions that APT was copying
Scenic Tours’ new drinks service.
“APT innovated this concept with river
cruising over two years ago when we
introduced it exclusively to the market on our
Mekong River cruises,” she told Cruise Weekly.
“Europe was a natural extension to this
concept, which we had been working on for
some time to ensure we got the delivery right.
“Our Platinum cruises are the APT-exclusive
cruises, rather than departures marketed to
the North American market, as our Platinum
APT cruises are designed to meet the specific
needs of Australian and New Zealand travellers
– which is something unique to APT.”
Scenic Tours gm, sales and marketing,
Michelle Black maintained that Scenic was
“proud to be the world’s first truly all-inclusive
luxury river cruise company operating on
Europe’s waterways”, regardless of nationality.
“We proudly deliver the same superior
benefits to every single guest who travels with
us,” Black said.
“To us, all-inclusive luxury means delivering
the ultimate experience of world-class service
to every guest.”
From 2013, “every guest, on every sailing, in
every destination” on a Scenic ‘Space-Ship’ will
receive unlimited complimentary beverages
(including regional and sparkling wines, spirits,
boutique beers, cocktails, bottled water and
espresso coffee), as well as a complimentary
in-cabin mini-bar replenished daily, Black said.
Scenic Tours also announced last month that it
would introduce private butler service for every
passenger cruising in Europe next season.
At this stage, APT has not extended its butler
service to all passengers.
“We have two levels of butler service available
[in Europe] – Silver and Gold service, depending
on the suite type, which services the majority of
suite categories on our Concerto class ships, as
well as room service dining for both breakfast
and dinner available across both Concerto and
Aria ships on many suite categories,” Fox said.
