Australian Guests & World Travel Mart
VALUE FOR MONEY CRUISE, SAY AUSSIE CRUISE MEDIA SPECIALISTS
The CF Mekong River cruise vessels are the perfect cruises for Australians who do not want to fork-out top dollar for a cruise but still want a memorable and comfortable cruise experience, say two veteran Aussie cruise media specialists.
“With the Toum Tiou II, you get great service, a comfortable cruise , memorable excursions at an affordable rate,” say John Savage, co-founder of Australia-based strategy media agency Bullet communications.
Both Savage and managing director of Bullet communications, Grahame Cox, were passengers on the Toum Tiou II on the Siem Reap to Phnom Penh cruise (Nov 17-19, 2014). Cox added,” There are no tourist traps in the excursions. You are given a wonderful glimpse of life in Cambodia and Vietnam and you do not feel any pressure to buy anything.”
Savage and Cox were particularly pleased with the authentic décor of the ship. “We felt really at home with the wood-based structure and finishing of the ship. It was comfortable and luxury was discreetly present. We are reminded that we are in Asia. It was not like some over-the-top cruises where you can be in any river in any country in the world.”
CF Mekong River cruises after the World Travel Mart 2014 – It’s all systems go
Naidah Yazdani walks with a new stride in his step. Brimming with confidence, he speaks passionately about the vast business opportunities for CF Mekong River cruises after the recently-concluded World Travel Mart(WTM) in London. The British-born Asia Director of CF Mekong River cruises sits with CFM Beats for this impromptu interview.
CFM Beats: Tell us, how was the World Travel Mart for you?
Naidah Yazdani: It was fantastic. We made many new contacts. There were many UK as well as Scandinavian operators who showed interest in our boats. We met with new, potential partners who feel that there is a big market for a more down-to-earth and authentic cruise experience.
CFM Beats: Can you elaborate?
Naidah Yazdani: We do not brand ourselves as luxurious. Perhaps a more apt description is that ‘luxury is discreetly present.’ We are authentic; we are small and intimate and there is definitely a market for us. And this point resonated well with the operators we met at the WTM.
CFM Beats: Much has been said about the ability of your boats to reach the heart of Saigon. How did that sit with the operators at the WTM?
Naidah Yazdani: Very, very well indeed. The operators agree that there is a matchless surreal experience in navigating right into the heart of Saigon. Their clients would very much appreciate this as opposed to a hot and humid bus ride from My Tho to Vietnam’s capital city.
CFM Beats: What can we expect from CF Mekong River cruises after the WTM?
Naidah Yazdani: Lots and lots of interesting things are in the pipeline. Several of the big boys have expressed interest in working with us in new projects. A new ship is planned on the Mekong for 2016 and we still have ambitions to develop on other Asian rivers.
THE DAILY EXPRESS RAVES ABOUT CF MEKONG RIVER CRUISES
The mass circulation Daily Express (UK) ran a complimentary feature article on the Toum Tiou II. One of Britain’s most respected specialist cruise writers Louise Roddon chronicles her amazing experience on the Toum Tiou II. Read Roddons’s piece via – http://www.express.co.uk/travel/activity/538666/Travel-Mekong-River-Cambodia