Cruise Leader Expands Reach with Localized Portal and Omnichannel Experience

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“MarketFully localized our digital customer experience in under 90 days, from contract signing to project completion, just as promised. We’re proud to partner with such a world-class organization with the project management expertise and technical resources to meet our needs.”
—Director at a U.S.-based travel transportation provider 

A global Top 3 cruise line, serving dozens of international markets and more than 450 destinations worldwide, set out to increase engagement and bookings among international customers. The company established several key objectives: 

  • Localize its digital customer experience into multiple languages to boost engagement and conversions 
  • Provide international travel agents with a translated secure, informational, and booking portal 
  • Offer multilingual support for on-ship guests via localized kiosks and a mobile application 
  • Supply translated brochures and signage for on-board guests and staff 

The Challenge

Renowned for its excellent customer service, the cruise line knew it could not compromise on its localized customer experience. Several challenges stood in the way: 

  • Lean internal teams lacked the expertise to translate digital content, requiring a capable third-party vendor 
  • The technical complexity of the travel agent portal surpassed the capabilities of nearly all digital translation providers, making localization nearly impossible 
  • The operational and technical demands threatened the project’s speed-to-market and raised the risk of delays 

The Impact

The company recognized it needed a comprehensive, turn-key solution capable of localizing its complex portal, website, and omnichannel content while keeping pace with fast-moving content production schedules. 

Without such a solution, international engagement and sales risked stagnating or declining, as competitors were already offering fully localized experiences. Losing global market share was a real concern. 

“MarketFully does an excellent job communicating and keeping us informed throughout the translation project. Their translation and implementation teams are consistently outstanding.”
—Director at a U.S.-based themed recreation and hospitality provider

The Solution

The cruise line engaged MarketFully to localize its customer experience, including the complex travel agent portal. MarketFully translated the portal in under 30 days and completed the remainder of the digital customer experience within one month. 

MarketFully now maintains localization in eight languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Japanese, and localizes the company’s mobile application in six languages. 

Executives highlighted these MarketFully capabilities: 

  • Translation Speed: MarketFully typically translates, QA checks, and publishes content within one business day of its appearance on the source portal 
  • Transcreation Capabilities: MarketFully applies transcreation, which preserves intent, nuance, wordplay, and context, delivering culturally resonant and engaging translations beyond standard translation 
  • Compatibility with Secure Web Applications: MarketFully seamlessly detects, translates, and reintegrates localized content into secure web applications, including dynamic portal content 
  • Turn-Key Configuration, Translation & Ongoing Operation: All client-side IT effort was eliminated. MarketFully deployed the servers, software, databases, and tools required to launch and host the localized portal and fully manages translation workflows 

The Outcome

With MarketFully’s proxy-based solution, the cruise line now: 

  • Exceeds goals for international bookings, revenue, and guest satisfaction 
  • Supports global travel agents, enabling them to promote the cruise line to clients effectively 
  • Offers a portal experience that enhances international travel agency engagement 
  • Provides more languages on its on-ship mobile application than competitors, improving the guest experience