Day 2 | Series 1 of 9 | Sales Architecture

Why Global Cruise Sales must be defined before it’s scaled Series 1 of 9 Sales Architecture

Before scaling Global Cruise Sales, it needs to be clearly defined. Not in broad terms, but in practical ones:

 - What it owns

 - How it operates

 - How success is measured

 - How it connects shore-side and onboard.

Cruise sales is complex by nature: Different markets and channels mature at different speeds, booking windows vary widely when considering demographics, itineraries, time of year, seasonality, new product launches, booking curve differs from luxury to contemporary when forecasting, optimizing and comparing, the onboard environment creates unique opportunities for future cruise sales, while shoreside teams manage long planning horizons and multiple distribution channels.  Series 1 of 9 Sales Architecture

Without a shared definition of what Global Cruise Sales actually is, scale may amplify inconsistency. We need to create synergy between markets and channels, shoreside and onboard.

I don’t believe there is a single “perfect” model. But I do believe the right questions must be answered early:

 - What does Global Cruise Sales own, and what does it not?

 - How do shoreside (trade and direct) and onboard future cruise sales work together rather than in parallel?

 - Where does accountability sit when performance drifts?

 - Which behaviors are we intentionally reinforcing?

 - Is leadership aligned and operating in synergy?

When these questions are left open, teams compensate in different ways. Processes diverge. Metrics lose meaning. Leaders spend more time aligning internally than executing externally.

Defining Global Cruise Sales first creates clarity. It allows structure, governance, and leadership to form around a shared understanding. 

Only then does scaling become sustainable. This is not about slowing growth, it’s about making sure that when growth comes, it holds.

Tomorrow, I’ll look at how I would structure Global Cruise Sales across shoreside and onboard to support that clarity with a Global Sales Operating Model.

Day 2 | Series 1 of 9 | Sales Architecture