The SevenFifty report, “Can Cruise Ships Be a Meaningful Sales Channel for Wineries?”, caught my attention because it confirms…

The SevenFifty report, “Can Cruise Ships Be a Meaningful Sales Channel for Wineries?”, caught my attention because it confirms…

Written by Maximiliano Morales

The SevenFifty report, “Can Cruise Ships Be a Meaningful Sales Channel for Wineries?”, caught my attention because it confirms a trend I experienced firsthand during my years working aboard expedition cruise ships.

Between 2008 and 2019, I worked as a Wine Specialist aboard expedition cruise ships, including the National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endeavour, and Silver Cloud, developing wine experiences focused on Chilean and Argentine wines. One of my main responsibilities was to help passengers select wines from the onboard wine lists and create experiences that allowed them to better understand the wines and the territories behind them.

During that time, we even created the ¨Explorer Wine Club¨, an initiative that allowed passengers to access high-value bottles and share the cost among several participants. The concept was very well received and led to numerous tastings, in addition to the wine tastings we organized for approximately 140 passengers on selected afternoons during the voyages.

The article written by Kelly Magyarics for SevenFifty Daily report confirms something I observed personally: a cruise can be much more than a distribution channel for a winery; it can become a powerful platform for marketing, consumer engagement, and long-term loyalty. The examples highlighted in the article—from tastings and wine-pairing dinners to wine clubs, exclusive bottlings, and customized partnerships—show that the real value is not simply selling a bottle onboard, but creating a relationship with the consumer that continues after the journey.

The article highlights wineries that have turned these partnerships into new wine-club members, repeat purchases, referrals, and visits to their wineries. It also shows that cruise lines are increasingly looking for distinctive food and wine experiences to differentiate their offerings. This confirms something I was able to observe firsthand: when consumers have the time to discover the story behind a bottle, taste it, interact with the people representing the winery, and connect it to a specific territory, their relationship with the wine can change completely.

For Chilean wineries, particularly those looking to expand internationally, this represents an interesting opportunity to connect wine, tourism, territory, and experience, using cruise ships as a strategic platform for brand building and international business development.

The opportunity for Chile is particularly relevant. We have internationally recognized wines, diverse wine regions, and a tourism industry that can connect with one of the world’s most important hospitality platforms. The challenge is to move beyond simply putting Chilean wines on a wine list and instead design experiences that tell the story of Chile, its valleys, its producers, and its people.

From Texas to Coquimbo Region

Finally, after spending almost two years as a digital nomad, traveling between New York, Dallas, Houston, San Marcos, San Antonio, San Diego, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, I returned to Chile and settled in La Serena. Today, I returned to work as a tour leader and tourism guide for cruise passengers from different nationalities (Between November until May) in the coast of Coquimbo Region. In fact, part of my free time now, I can travel to any port in Latin America or elsewhere in the world to develop these wine experiences.

I believe these types of initiatives can be highly effective because the relationship with the consumer does not necessarily end when the cruise ends. In many cases, they can generate a second wave of visits and business opportunities after passengers return home.

Through AndesWines.com, we have been able to develop tourism experiences that encourage former cruise passengers to return to Chile specifically to visit certain wine regions and destinations they discovered during their journey.

This is where I see an important opportunity for Chilean wineries and tourism operators: a cruise experience can become the first step in a much longer relationship with the consumer. A passenger who discovers a Chilean wine, its producer, and its territory onboard can later become a visitor, a wine buyer, a wine-club member, or even a promoter of that destination among friends and family.

For me, this is one of the most interesting aspects of combining wine, tourism, and cruise experiences. The objective is not simply to sell a bottle during a voyage, but to create enough interest and emotional connection for the passenger to continue the journey long after the ship has returned to port.

Ultimately, the bottle may be the product, but the experience is what builds the relationship. Cruise ships can therefore become a strategic channel for Chilean wineries—not only to sell more wine, but also to build brands, develop consumer loyalty, generate tourism, and open new international markets.

Cheers!

Maximiliano Morales, WhatsApp: +56 9 3251 7848 📧 max@andeswines.com