QuirkyCruise finds out more about Nicola Caygill, managing director and owner of Micro-Cruising, an Australia-based wholesaler sourcing small ship cruises for travel agents.
What is Micro-Cruising?
Nicola : Micro-Cruising is a travel wholesaler that sources small ship cruises for travel agents and tour operators in Australia and worldwide, specializing in ships carrying 130 passengers or less. Anything larger changes the dynamic; if you have to queue up at mealtime, the ship is too big.
What is your background?
Nicola: I started Micro-Cruising in 2013. Before that I worked for several years in business development for Orion Expeditions (later bought by Lindblad Expeditions) and Quark Expeditions. Education-wise, I have two degrees in tourism.
What are your most popular destinations?
Nicola: Croatia, Greece, France, the Maldives, Mekong River, Burma, Fiji, Alaska, and Antarctica, are the most popular places requested for our small ship cruises.
What kinds of experiences do you offer?
Nicola: The small ship cruises we offer are amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and many are largely unknown, from offering guests the chance to meet the Sea Gypsies of the Mergui Archipelago, to cruising on Grace Kelly’s honeymoon yacht in the Galapagos. Choose from relaxing on 100-year-old converted solid teak rice barges in Thailand, sailing aboard Agatha’s Christies “Death on the Nile’ river boat, cruising on a tug boat in Alaska, or taking over a private one-cabin phinisi in Indonesia with a staff of 7 including a full time masseuse.
How many vessels do you represent?
Nicola: We’re knowledgeable about more than 600 vessels including mega yachts, sailing yachts, catamarans, expedition vessels, river vessels, gulets, dhonis, junks, barges, tall ships, houseboats, tugboats and phinisis.
What are your personal favorite regions for small-ship cruising?
Nicola: This is like choosing between children for me! Personally, because I’m interested in the history of the explorers who went there, I loved my two cruises on both sides of Antarctica — the tried and true Antarctic Peninsula cruise off the coast of South America as well as the less travelled route on the other side to see the Australian and New Zealand Sub Antarctic Islands including Macquarie Island. I love small ship cruising because I want to get away from the madding crowds and experience a truly authentic cultural experience without being overwhelmed by a lot of other tourists. Small ships leave a small footprint and don’t overwhelm the destination. That means a lot to me.
Micro-Cruising Pty Ltd is based in Sydney, Australia, and is an AFTA (Australian Federation of Travel Agents) member and ATAS (AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme) accredited. Awards and partnerships include preferred relationships with agent groups and a partnership with Cruiseco, the leading Consortium of Cruise Travel Specialists in the Southern Hemisphere. For more information go to www.micro-cruising.com.au.
HEIDI SARNA
