automatically send timely messages to guests, informing them of arrival details. This reduces guest uncertainty and improves their experience, leading to better reviews and repeat bookings. For example, send guests a message an hour before arrival with meeting point details.
Accessing this feature
REQUIRES_DEVELOPER_INPUT
How to use it
Start a New Notification:
On the Cruise Notifications page, you'll see a prominent button, usually in the top right corner. It will say Schedule New Notification or Create Notification. Click it.
Choose Your Cruise:
You'll see a form where you'll select which cruise this notification is for.
There will be a dropdown menu or a search bar labelled Select Cruise.
Click on it and choose the specific cruise you want to send notifications for.
You might also need to specify the Arrival Date if your cruise schedule has multiple departures.
Set the Notification Time:
Decide when your guests will receive their message.
You'll find options like Send X minutes/hours before arrival.
You can typically choose from preset times (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours) or even set a custom time. Think about what works best for your operation and your guests' travel plans.
Craft Your Message:
You'll see a text box labelled Notification Message. Type out the message your guests will receive.
You can often use handy placeholders (like [Guest Name], [Cruise Name], [Arrival Time]) that will automatically fill in the correct details for each guest. This makes your message personal and helpful!
Keep it concise and clear. Include essential information like the cruise name, expected arrival time, and perhaps a friendly reminder about where to meet or what to have ready.
Review and Confirm:
Before you hit send, it's always a good idea to double-check everything.
Take a moment to read through your message and ensure all the details are correct.
Confirm the selected cruise and the notification timing.
Activate Your Notification:
Once you're happy with everything, simply click the Save or Activate Notification button at the bottom of the form.
Your cruise arrival notification is now scheduled.
The system will take care of sending out the messages at the perfect time, so you can focus on other important parts of your business.
Tips
Schedule multiple notifications for all your upcoming cruises, ensuring consistent communication across your entire schedule.
Personalise your messages with specific details for each cruise, or even use placeholders to address guests by name for that extra special touch.
Decide exactly when your guests receive their notification – whether it's an hour before, 30 minutes before, or at a time that best suits your operations.
If anything changes with a cruise schedule, you can quickly edit or update an existing notification to send out revised information.
Keep track of all your planned notifications in one clear list, giving you a great overview of your outgoing communications.
Schedule your notifications well in advance. This shows your guests you're organised and thinking ahead, building their confidence in your service.
While personalising is great, avoid making your messages too long. Guests often read these on the go, so get straight to the key information they need. Think about what they absolutely must know for a smooth arrival.
Beyond just the arrival time, consider adding a quick note about the meeting point, what documents they might need, or a friendly reminder to wear appropriate footwear for their activity.
While avoiding slang, you can still let your brand's friendly voice shine through in your messages. A warm closing or a little emoji (if it fits your brand!) can make a big difference.
If appropriate, you could include a very brief, friendly mention of another service you offer. For example, "Looking for a great lunch spot after your cruise? Check out [Your Café Name]!" Just make sure it doesn't overshadow the main arrival information.
Every now and then, take a look at your scheduled notifications. Are they still relevant? Is the language still perfect? Adjust them as needed to ensure they're always performing their best.
Before relying on it for a big cruise, perhaps send a test notification to yourself or a colleague to see how it looks and feels from the guest's perspective.
Need help?
For further assistance, contact us at [email protected]