Dondra Ritzenthaler’s Advice to Luxury Advisors: Ask for the Business
At ATC’s Symposium, the Azamara CEO urged advisors to ask for referrals, charge for their expertise, and build relationships that last beyond a booking.
Photo: Courtesy of Azamara
Azamara Cruises CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler had a pointed question for travel advisors at the Affluent Traveler Collection’s Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, last week: How many of them regularly ask clients for referrals?
“You need to ask for referrals, you’re the expert,” she told the audience. It was one of several practical challenges in a keynote built around what she called a “lion’s mentality”—the willingness to seek out business, adapt when plans fail, and invest in relationships before they are needed.
Ritzenthaler, a 40-year travel industry veteran who previously spent more than two decades at Celebrity Cruises, urged attendees to identify what makes their agencies different and make that value clear to clients. She suggested handwritten notes, cruise nights, welcome-home gifts, and a stronger social media presence as ways to stay in touch. She also encouraged advisors to consider charging service fees for their expertise.
“You cannot wait on the phone to ring,” she said. For an agency hoping to reach more luxury clients, she argued, knowing the product is only part of the job. Advisors must also give people a reason to call them in the first place.
Once a client does call, Ritzenthaler said, the conversation should go beyond dates, availability, and a credit card number. She acted out two versions of a sales call: one that moved straight to the transaction and another that asked questions about what the traveler wanted from the trip. In the second, the advisor could draw on personal cruise knowledge and begin shaping an experience around the client’s priorities.
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“What is important to you?” she asked in the example. It is a short question, but one that gives an advisor more to work with than a request for a particular sailing or fare.
Ritzenthaler returned to that idea when discussing clients who hesitate over cost. “You cannot sell on price,” she told attendees. “You’ve got to sell on value.” She urged advisors to tell clients why a journey is worth taking and what they will gain, while acknowledging that cost concerns some travelers.
Her advice extended to newer tools: Ritzenthaler said she does not expect AI to eliminate advisors’ jobs, but believes those who learn to use it will be more productive. She encouraged attendees to use the training and marketing resources available to them, while cautioning against trying to adopt every idea they heard at the conference at once. Taking one useful step and building on it, she said, is more effective.
The keynote also touched on Azamara’s own investment in its ships. Ritzenthaler told attendees the company is spending $80 million to refresh its fleet. Azamara has announced its Azamara Forward program, which begins aboard Azamara Quest in December 2026 with new suites, dining venues, and updates to public spaces. (The company says the enhancements will later extend to its other ships.)
Ritzenthaler closed by emphasizing relationships—with clients, colleagues, and suppliers. She encouraged attendees to get to know the partners at the Symposium personally so they would have a connection when they needed help with a booking. For her, the strongest business is built through those conversations, one client and one partner at a time.
