Change the conversation from price to value. Wherever you sit in the market, don’t go back to chasing volume over margin. A well-informed travel adviser will craft tours that create lifelong memories for the traveller. Feel confident to charge a margin to reflect this design and knowledge input.
Offer Value
Change the conversation from price to value. Wherever you sit in the market, don’t go back to chasing volume over margin. A well-informed travel adviser will craft tours that create lifelong memories for the traveller. Feel confident to charge a margin to reflect this design and knowledge input.
Use digital channels to enhance your expertise
Today’s travellers are better educated and more discerning, everyone has access to a host of information online. That said, only experts are truly aware of all product options and how to best combine them. Digital advancements have just made it easier and quicker for experts to communicate ideas in a visually gripping way to an even bigger audience.
Personalised service
Tick boxing a load of attraction visits in a one size fits all way does not work for any segment of the market. The mid-level group traveller should be given further choices on tour to visit places that suit them. While the upscale consumer must be given a fully personalised experience as personable service is no longer enough. They must be treated individually not equally. Whichever bracket you operate in, innovation, choice and attention to detail are now must haves, not optional extras.
Provide an Authentic Experience
The word ‘experience’ is overused and has been devalued by many companies. They dress up a standard product as premium or even an experience by adding a few extra touches.
Maintain the integrity of your products by ensuring the experiences you include are unequivocally different through added value and/ or exclusivity.
Data
Data gives us the tools to optimise the customer experience. It allows us to instantly match product to consumer interests.
It also helps deliver a highly individual service ‘on the ground’. Whether it’s addressing the guest by name or knowing what they like or dislike, data used correctly ensures an enhanced guest experience. Guests who feel good, spend more and leave better reviews.
Good luck with the restart!
So, you’re off on a river cruise - fabulous choice! Whether you’re gliding past vineyards, charming villages or fairytale castles, here’s how to pack smart (and stylishly) without needing a steamer trunk.
So, you’re off on a river cruise - fabulous choice! Whether you’re gliding past vineyards, charming villages or fairytale castles, here’s how to pack smart (and stylishly) without needing a steamer trunk.
Layers Are Your Friend
River weather likes to keep things interesting, so bring layers. Light jumpers, a rainproof jacket and breathable fabrics that can be added or shed as needed. Fancy umbrellas (yes, really) are available on board, so no need to bring your own.
Dress to Impress (But Keep It Real)
Evenings are a lovely chance to dress up. If you enjoy a bit of glamour, then go for it! Mix-and-match elegance is perfect. Cabins offer generous storage, but probably not enough for a full Downton wardrobe.
Jewellery: Yes, to Sparkle
Evenings are ideal for a touch of sparkle. There’s a safe in your cabin for peace of mind. That said, unless you’re genuinely in line to a throne, maybe leave the tiara at home.
Shoes: Channel Your Inner Minimalist (not your Marcos)
Comfortable walking shoes for excursions; Casual shoes for daytime on board; Something a little dressier for dinner. That’s it.
Day Bag Must-Haves
Pack a small rucksack or crossbody bag for excursions. You’ll want space for:
Toiletries Sorted
Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are provided and high quality. Just bring your personal favourites and skip the heavy toiletry bag.
Documents: Digital + Physical
Keep digital and printed copies of:
Leave Room to Bring Home the Goodies
You’ll be visiting some delightful towns with irresistible artisan shops. Leave a little room in your suitcase for a handwoven scarf, bottle of wine, or a surprise souvenir – you will be glad you did.
European Weather has commitment issues – one minute sunshine and rose and then next, it’s where’s my fleece?
Remember - layers, layers, layers! A scarf, T-shirts, light knits, thin thermals, cardigans and a waterproof hooded jacket will work well.
Excursions
European Weather has commitment issues – one minute sunshine and rose and then next, it’s where’s my fleece?
Remember - layers, layers, layers! A scarf, T-shirts, light knits, thin thermals, cardigans and a waterproof hooded jacket will work well.
Being near water means that it will always feel a bit cooler and windier than you expect.
The onboard umbrellas are so fabulous that you may be tempted to ‘accidentally’ take one home. We get it. But please don’t.
On board
Comfortable, smart and cruise casual is the vibe. Think stylish but relaxed.
There is no need for tea frocks and blazers for afternoon tea but something that is stylishly ‘loungey’
Cocktails in the bar? Again, no tux or ball gown required but instead something that says, “I have made an effort but I am on holiday.”
No need to pack a new suit or frock for each evening dinner. Instead use accessories – a necklace, silk scarf, cravat (if people still wear them) or tie.
No one’s keeping score. Quite frankly – if you have got an outfit then why not wear it again?
You want to feel good, look good and have space for that extra dessert!
Gym
We love a good stretch and a power walk, but unless you’re planning to do laps around the sundeck or hit the small onboard fitness area, leave the full gym kit at home.
One pair of leggings or joggers and a single pair of trainers will do nicely for a morning stroll or a quick work out before breakfast. This isn’t a exercise retreat - it’s a river cruise.
Bags
For daytime excursions you need a comfy rucksack or room tote tha you can sling over your shoulder while you stroll. Think practical not precious.
For the evenings on board, you only need one small bag (if at all). Your cabin is always close by so there is no need for everything to accompany you to the lounge.
Leave space! You will thank us later when you find that artisan trinket, gorgeous wine or another scarf.
Don’t overpack – the cabins are lovely but even the suites will not hold a collection of matching steamer trunks.
Remember — you’re packing for a European river cruise, not a transatlantic crossing in the 1920s.
Pack smart. Reuse pieces. And trust us - you don’t want to spend your time wrestling with zips and hangers.
You want to be out there soaking up the views, sipping something lovely on deck, exploring cobbled towns, and savouring every bite of the onboard culinary magic.
Travel light. Dress well. Live fully.
Bon voyage!
Travel doesn’t have to be about ticking off the big names.
A few years ago in New Delhi, I stumbled across Agrasen ki Baoli - a 14th-century stepwell tucked just behind the chaos of Connaught Place.
Travel doesn’t have to be about ticking off the big names.
A few years ago in New Delhi, I stumbled across Agrasen ki Baoli - a 14th-century stepwell tucked just behind the chaos of Connaught Place. Cool, quiet and steeped in mystery, it was practically deserted. No queues, no tour groups. Just soft light, ancient stone and a whisper of legend. Today, it’s all over Instagram. Still stunning, but a little less secret.
At Veenus, we believe the best experiences are often those that are less known. While the icons have their place, we like to add something more unusual to the mix. Places the guidebooks may not mention, but that linger in your memory long after. Imagine a hidden manor house, a tucked-away vineyard or a church with a story no one else is telling. It’s not about avoiding the big sights entirely but about balancing the blockbuster with the beautifully quiet.
Sometimes, the best view isn’t something world famous, it’s down a quiet cobbled lane, in a place you didn’t expect.
When we design our travel products, we painstakingly go through every detail to ensure that our supplier ensure that their experiences live up to expectations.
When we design our travel products, we painstakingly go through every detail to ensure that our supplier ensure that their experiences live up to expectations.
Travel isn’t just about gourmet meals, nice rooms or premium facilities. It’s about the feeling a guest takes away.
People book these journeys for significant reasons. A milestone celebration, a long-awaited dream, an experience that has been saved up for or a meaningful gift. They come with expectations, often built over years of wistful anticipation.
That’s why attention to feelings matters. It’s not just about logistics and facilities, but in the emotions being created. Every interaction and every thoughtful gesture contribute to something bigger - a lasting impression. So, let’s think how the guest feels at every touch point.
There’s something undeniably romantic about train travel. Not the rushed commuter chaos or the jostle through packed platforms but the kind of journey where time slows, landscapes unfold like paintings, and you’re served champagne as you watch the landscape unfold.
There’s something undeniably romantic about train travel. Not the rushed commuter chaos or the jostle through packed platforms but the kind of journey where time slows, landscapes unfold like paintings, and you’re served champagne as you watch the landscape unfold.
In an age of airport conveyor belts and homogenized luxury, train travel brings back the charm and allure of a bygone era. Imagine white-glove service, polished brass, the soft clink of cutlery over a linen tablecloth, and the steady rhythm of the wheels as the countryside rolls gently by. It’s indulgent, yes, but does not shout about it. It’s a quiet kind of elegance.
Today’s luxury trains aren’t just about stepping into the past. They offer a new way to experience the present. On board, each meal is a masterpiece, created with local ingredients by top chefs. The carriages are not just transport; they are a part of the destination. You will feel a sense of rarity and exclusivity that even a first-class air ticket cannot offer.
It is not just the journey, either. Our rail experiences include excursions into the heart of the places you visit, with time to savour the destination. And while an overnight journey may feel a touch extravagant, our luxurious day journeys offer all the sophistication and wonder.
And a bonus that feels especially timely: it is also one of the more sustainable ways to travel. Trains carry a lighter carbon footprint than flights or long car journeys, letting you explore with a clearer conscience.
So, if you’ve ever dreamt of travel that is more about the journey than the destination - where you can indulge in luxury while the world glides by - then perhaps it is time to make space on your bucket list for the allure of railway magic.
