On Location: “My wheels are turning”: TDC Sales Academy turns cruise into high-impact learning lab

They came from different corners of Canada, spoke different languages, and brought very different levels of experience and expertise to the table.

But for one week, they were part of the same learning journey.

For Sarah Hassett, a travel advisor with just two years in the business, it was a chance to deepen her confidence.

For Glenn Fernandes, a 40-year industry veteran whose career began with British Airways in Kenya, it was an opportunity to experience his very first cruise.

And for Jennifer Preuss, a specialist who has built her business almost entirely around Club Med, the voyage offered permission to step outside her comfort zone.

Together, their stories reflect the essence of TDC Campus’ Sales Academy at Sea—a professional development program built on the idea that advisors help each other succeed, and that everyone, regardless of tenure or specialty, has something valuable to contribute.

READ MORE: On Location: “The best of both worlds”: TDC Campus’ Sales Academy at Sea sets sail with Princess

Held from November 30 to December 7 aboard the festively-decorated Sun Princess, the week-long Academy, which PAX was invited to cover exclusively, brought together nearly 120 participants, including 80 travel advisors, evenly split between English and French speakers.

Open to advisors across Transat Distribution Canada’s (TDC’s) network—Marlin Travel, TravelPlus, Affiliates, Transat Travel and agent@home in English Canada, and Voyages Transat, Club Voyages, Voyages en Liberté and agent@externe in Quebec—the event also welcomed a mix of land and cruise suppliers, business trainers, and the TDC team.

The week’s special guests included Sabrina Greca of 5 Continents; Marco Gagnon of Air Canada Vacations; Alexandre Bergeron of AmaWaterways; Dimitri André of Bedsonline; Tyler Mattioli of Club Med; Caroline Poulson of Emerald; Rares Dumitru of Goway; Sandra Mallette of Groupe Voyages Quebec; Marguerite Karpinski of Holland America & Seabourn; Patrick Brousseau of Manulife; Valerie Lavigne of Norwegina Cruise Line; Shirley Lew of Oceania; Erica Barbour of Ponant & Paul Gauguin; Yenedi Perez and Kat Vezina of Princess; Eric St. Pierre of Royal Caribbean International; Mary Lynn Villenueve of Scenic; Josee Rouleau of Tours Chanteclerc; Justin Clarey and Daniel Page and Transat; Nathalie Bombardier or TravelBrands; Austin Fraser of TTC Tour Brands; Barry Johnston of Viking; Shane Dineen of WestJet Vacations; Claude Girard of Crystal Cruises; and Jennifer Zammit of Rocky Mountaineer.

Learning from one another

For Brantford, ON-based Hassett of Marlin Travel, the appeal of TDC Campus was its familiar, multi-supplier format. After attending last year’s Cruise Academy with Virgin Voyages, she returned eager to build on that experience.

“I was looking forward to coming back to learn more. Having that networking opportunity with suppliers, to learn about products, is super helpful as a newer agent,” she said.

That mix of experience levels was precisely what stood out to Fernandes of Transat Travel in Maple Ridge, BC.

“It’s a good way to get a lot of supplies in one place – and meet wonderful people,” he said. “We have different levels of experience, but we learn from each other and that’s huge in our business.”

For Preuss, of Voyage Club Évasion in North Montreal, the Academy marked a deliberate decision to broaden her horizons.

“I’m here because I only know Club Med,” she said. “My customers have been asking me about other travel opportunities and I’ve been hesitant because I don’t know the products.”

By the end of the week, that changed after she met Sabrina Greca, director of sales and marketing at 5Continents, which was participating in the Academy for the first time.  

“I have a customer who really wants to scuba dive and 5Continents is going to make it happen,” Preuss said. “I have something new to introduce to my customers.”

Greca’s presence at the Academy was both professional and personal.

A former TDC employee who began her career with the network in 2004, she described the event as a “homecoming.”

“It’s a big deal when a partner is accepted by TDC. It means you’ve proven your value,” said Greca.

Throughout the week, Greca explained how 5Continents supports advisors with fully customized, a la carte itineraries, specializing in pre- and post-cruise programs, excursions and tailor-made tours built entirely from scratch – and now, enhanced by a 24-hour concierge service.

She said the Academy’s format worked—giving agents real face time and pushing them to rethink how they sell travel as demand shifts toward more off-the-beaten-path experiences.

“This is about taking business to the next level,” she said. “And learning how to help people buy – the more agents can help people with their purchases, the more they’re going to add to their value.”

A live version of TDC Campus

The Sales Academy at Sea was a “live” version of TDC Campus, Transat Distribution Canada’s online learning platform offering unlimited professional education.

While TDC Campus lets advisors train year-round at their own pace, the Academy brings that content to life. 

It wasn’t your average “take notes and nod” conference—it was a no-excuses, sales-forward boot camp designed to keep learning real and results-driven.

Advisors completed 40 hours of high-impact training led by Corey Atkinson and Katie Giddings of The Experience Advisors, with Atkinson overseeing the English-speaking contingent.

He said his focus was equal parts fundamentals and fearlessness—reminding new and seasoned advisors how to sell smarter, not harder.

The goals? “A proactive mindset,” he told PAX, getting into the market, asking better questions, handling rejection, and expanding business through intentional planning.

“Advisors have more tools at their reach than they realize,” Atkinson said.

Mornings kicked off with one-hour sales sessions, followed by multiple partner presentations. Afternoons brought everyone together for hands-on workshops—where things really clicked.

Advisors leaned into listening to objections and validating concerns because, as Atkinson stressed: “Everything you do builds trust with that prospective client.” Ignore that, and “they’ll go book with Expedia or Google.”

There were breakthrough moments, too—especially around planning. When asked who had a business plan, the room kinda froze.

Lesson learned: “If you want to grow, you’ve got to plan ahead,” Atkinson said.

The bottom line? Travel sales are personal.

“You’re not giving people a car…you’re giving them an experience,” Atkinson said. “It’s about getting people excited to take that adventure.”

“This is work”

The week unfolded along a sun-kissed itinerary, sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Eleuthera in the Bahamas, home to Princess Cays, Princess Cruises’ private beach resort destination.

The ship then continued to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where advisors went on a city tour, before finishing in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

TDC’s philosophy is simple: when advisors experience a product firsthand, they sell it better.

That’s why this year’s Academy was hosted at sea—and why the ship itself played such a central role.

But don’t call it a vacation.

“This is work,” said Sandra Wesson, director of product and industry relations at TDC. “But you couldn’t pick a better place to do it. Travel professionals not only get valuable training, but they also experience the ship and what life as a passenger is like. It’s the best of both worlds.”

But it wasn’t all serious business. Dine-arounds with reps in Princess’ main dining room encouraged relaxed, off-the-clock conversations.

And a Transat-blue–themed cocktail party on an outdoor terrace, overlooking the ship’s wake, shifted seamlessly from formal to festive.

Spotted in the crowd was Dimitri André, account director for North America at Bedsonline, a long-standing partner of TDC, who praised the event’s relevance.

“TDC invests heavily in education, focusing not just on brands, but on how that knowledge translates into real-world success,” he said.

André used the week to emphasize Bedsonline’s commitment to supporting the trade.

“Everything we do is to support the travel advisor community,” he explained, pointing to flexible booking tools, strong internal support, and a global portfolio of hotels, experiences and rentals designed to help advisors “look like a rock star.”

At the event, André showcased The Luxurist, Bedsonline’s luxury platform, and a new incentive, running until February 28, where the top TDC luxury booker can win a three-night stay at a luxury property anywhere in the world.

One-on-one interactions with agents added significant value to the experience, he said.

“Events like Sales Academy are key to growing our partnership with TDC,” he said.

Discovery through suppliers & peers

Travel advisors like Hassett found herself seeing a familiar brand through a new lens.

“For me, Club Med stood out because I’ve never sold it,” she said. “The presentation was eye opening as it broke the stigma of what Club Med used to be. Having both sun and ski packages is cool. And the fact they have an all-inclusive resort in Canada is advantageous.”

For Tyler Mattioli, manager of new business development, Ontario and the Maritimes at Club Med, the Academy was about spending time with advisors he doesn’t often see.

With a lean Canadian team and sprawling territories, being face-to-face mattered.

“At Club Med, we believe that seeing is believing,” he said. “So getting in front of agents, showing them pictures and videos, can go a long way.”

For the English-speaking crowd, some time was spent reframing the brand, explaining Club Med’s evolution from an adult-centric party resort chain to a family-centric, multi-gen, affinity-group, sports-focused experience.

He stressed that today, Club Med is four Tridents (stars) at minimum, with an Exclusive Collection, which is “five-star plus,” making it a legit luxury contender.

He also noted that Club Med’s all-inclusive ski product is taking off in English Canada, particularly within the TDC network, with some Ontario agencies leaning in on ski-focused packages.

From updates on renovations at Club Med Punta Cana to new resorts like Club Med South Africa, opening this summer, and visuals of Club Med Cefalù in Italy, he watched advisors have real-time “ah ha” moments.

And he spoke about growth. With a new CEO, Club Med plans to scale quickly: “By 2035, we are looking to be 100 properties,” he said, citing Mont Tremblant, Quebec. coming up in Borneo and Mont Tremblant, Quebec.

“A lot of consumers don’t think travel agents offer Club Med,” he added. “So agents need to let their clients know. There are great opportunities because our return rate is so high.”

“This was my first cruise”

For travel advisors like Fernandes, the biggest discovery wasn’t a supplier—it was cruising itself.

“Believe it or not, after 40 years in the business, this was my first cruise,” he said. “I’ve been scared of selling cruises because I didn’t know the product.”

Experiencing a ship like Sun Princess, firsthand, changed everything.

“It’s a huge takeaway because I now know what I’m talking about,” he said. “I’m prepared to sell cruises more confidently.”

That kind of firsthand experience is what Erica Barbour said made the Academy so impactful.

Attending for the first time, the director of business development for Eastern Canada at French luxury line Ponant and Paul Gauguin Cruises praised the “great mix of advisors at all levels,” calling it “a very open and safe space” where knowledge is freely exchanged.

Barbour said advisors were “super curious” and consistently came prepared with thoughtful questions about niche products like hers.

She’s working to shift perceptions about Ponant—now positioned as an “international, multi-cultural experience” rather than too French for English-speaking markets—and highlighted its blend of “adventure travel meets private yacht meets luxury cruising,” with off-the-beaten-path itineraries and experts on every departure.

On Paul Gauguin Cruises, she pointed to its deep French Polynesia expertise and authentic immersion.

The luxury cruise space is getting crowded, yes, but “there’s room for everyone,” Barbour said.

Her main message for advisors that week was “to qualify clients, book them confidently, and sell on value versus pricing.”

And maintain a good relationship with suppliers. “Your best resource is me,” she said.

Turning training into action

TDC’s business workshops were a highlight for the advisors PAX spoke to – particularly the focus on referrals and follow-up.

“It was so good to take what the partners had in presentations and put that into practice,” said Hassett.

Fernandes agreed, calling the week’s referral strategies a turning point.

“We forget it’s easier to convert existing business,” he said. “My wheels are turning… I’m excited to go home and put ideas into place.”

A ship with a story

The week’s classroom, the Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ first new-generation, Sphere-class vessel (and largest ship, with 4,300 guests), debuted last year. 

It’s packed with features that advisors experienced firsthand.

The highlights include multi-story dining rooms, a panoramic Piazza atrium, and a glass-enclosed geodesic dome that transforms an indoor-outdoor space into a combined pool deck and entertainment venue.

It also has new restaurants, like Love by Britto, an artistic dining experience created by artist Romero Britto and culinary expert Rudi Sodamin, located on Deck 17.

Sun Princess (sister to the new Star Princess) also debuts the Sanctuary Collection, a premium suite category, offering perks like private dining, and an adults-only upper deck with cabanas and private pool, where guests can ring a bell at a champagne wall, and a glass of bubbly magically appears for them, at select hours.

Yenedi Perez, national account manager at Princess Cruises, emphasized the cruise line’s strong relationships with Canadian travel advisors as central to its success, supporting them with specialized offers, incentives, and marketing tools.

“There’s so much potential in Canada – we’re not even grasping 10 per cent of the market,” said Perez. “Our Canadian travel partners are essential to our business.”

Princess, renowned for its nearly 60 years of Alaska itineraries, is seeing a rebound in Canadian sales despite this year’s geopolitical tensions.

“From spring, to where we are right now, our booking trends have definitely increased,” Perez said.

The cruise line is also investing in its Canadian sales team, recently hiring Joel Danyluk, formally of Carnival Cruise Line, as a BDM for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“The TDC-Transat way”

While TDC Campus’ Sales Academy at Sea was action-packed—the work certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

On the last day, a lively graduation ceremony was held, and each participant walked away with a hard-earned certificate.

Sandra Wesson summed up the week’s spirit perfectly in her closing remarks.

“This business has changed, but you have to learn to roll with the punches and come back fighting,” she said. “That is the TDC-Transat way.”

Watch TDC Campus delegates light of the Piazza aboard Sun Princess!

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