Starting next week, savvy travel agents who recommend Costa Cruises to “mystery shoppers” seeking a Caribbean cruise with more than four port calls could receive $200 in American Express cards. Those mystery shoppers are actually Costa Cruises North America sales representatives checking whether agents know about Costa’s 10-, 11- and 12-night cruises from Miami this winter.
Over the next four weeks Costa’s U.S. representatives will telephone or visit travel agencies at random posing as a potential client and casually asking about longer Caribbean cruises. If well-informed agents recommend Costa to the mystery shopper, they’ll receive $200 in American Express cards. If the agent doesnt recommend Costa, the salesperson will use the opportunity to educate them about Costa’s Caribbean program. Costa will give away $1,000 a week through Oct. 18, 2014.
“The Mystery Shopper Program is intended to both measure and raise agents’ awareness of Costa’s upcoming program on on Costa Luminosa and Costa Mediterranea from Miami,” said Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America. “We want agents to have Costa top of mind if a client happens to ask for a unique, longer Caribbean itinerary at a great rate this winter.”
Costa Luminosa’s 10-night itineraries feature stops at Nassau, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Costa Mediterranea’s 11-night sailings call at Samana, Dominican Republic; Road Harbour, Tortola; St John’s, Antigua; Point á Pitre, Guadeloupe; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and also feature added variations of calls at Nassau or Freeport, Bahamas; Grand Turk; or Key West, Fla. A 12-night cruise also includes a call at St. Kitts.
For reservations as well as more information on Costa’s Caribbean cruises, call your travel professional or 800-GO-COSTA, visit www.costacruises.com or check out the lines Facebook page.
