The Vantage Advantage

In 35 years of operations, Vantage Deluxe World Travel has garnered some prestigious awards for its tour and cruise products. But the Boston-based company hasn’t earned many accolades from travel agents.

“We weren’t really agent-friendly,” Deirdre Dirkman, Vantage’s vice president of worldwide operations, told AGENTatHOME.

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Dirkman said the line was now making a concerted effort to work with agents, and eager to make up for lost time.

In the crowded river cruise arena, Dirkman said, Vantage occupies an attractive niche.

The Vantage Story

The company got its start by marketing to affinity groups like teachers’ and alumni associations, later expanding to the general public. Vantage began offering river cruises in the early 2000s in partnership with established lines. It later introduced its own river fleet.

Today, Vantage Cruise Line’s fleet in Europe includes five vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Main, Moselle and Seine. River Venture, River Splendor, River Discovery II, River Navigator and River Voyager (the youngest, debuting in March 2016) carry between 134 and 176 passengers.

Additionally, Vantage operates the 126-passenger Douro Serenity in Portugal under a long-term charter.

Vantage river cruises feature complimentary Wi-Fi, wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner, around-the-clock specialty coffee and tea station, a fitness room, a massage station, and complimentary bikes and e-bikes.

“This year we launched a concierge service to help guests customize experiences for their free time,” said Dirkman.

Solo Specialty

Vantage has made a name for itself by catering to solo travelers.

“We were the first in the marketplace to have dedicated solo cabins,” Dirkman said. “With our demographic in the late 60s, we have a lot of solo travelers.”

River Splendor, for instance, currently features eight single cabins. Before the 2020 season, a retrofit will increase that number to 14.

Also, Dirkman noted that many of the line’s cabins already accommodate three, and “during winter repairs, we’re going to make many of the cabins adjoining,” she said, in recognition of the importance of family groups.

Vantage is also building a new ship for Egypt, the 76-passenger Nebu, to debut with Nile cruise tours in February 2020.

Small-Ship Expansion

Expedition cruising is another area Vantage is stepping into. It currently charters small ships for sailings in the British Isles, Scandinavia, Russia, the Mediterranean and the Americas.

It recently announced two luxury expedition newbuilds. The 170-passenger Ocean Explorer and sister ship Ocean Odyssey are scheduled for 2021 and 2022 delivery, respectively.

The Polar Class 6 ships will feature a multi-level observation lounge and lobby; a swimming pool with an outdoor movie screen; a spa; triple occupancy suites with the option for adjoining rooms; and 15 solo cabins.

Ocean Explorer’s inaugural season will include itineraries across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the British Isles, Scandinavia, the Americas and Antarctica.

With new products on the horizon, it’s undoubtedly a good time to get in the good graces of agents. “We’ve increased commission to 15 percent. We’re hiring a business development manager and are exploring agent training programs. Our internal sales staff is ready to work with agents,” said Dirkman.

She added: “I suspect we will be offering some fam trips to get back into the agent distribution channel.”

For more information, visit Vantagetravel.com.