Perseverance paid off for an independent agency when a couple who always go direct came in to book a £15,000 cruise.

The team at Westoe Travel in South Shields has spent three decades trying to persuade the serial cruisers to book with them.

Director Graeme Brett said: “For 31 years, this couple has come in and told us they book their cruises direct but they always ask us to book the train journey to Southampton or the overnight hotel, if needed.

“For 31 years, we’ve said: ‘We can book the cruise for you too – we’ll do all the hard work and it won’t cost you anything extra.’

“As they’ve got older, we’ve been doing more to help them, at no extra cost, such as arranging assistance for them at the train station as their bags have become too heavy for them to lift.

“It’s something that you do for your customers.

“They’re regular cruisers, going on at least three a year, and have been all over, including transatlantic and Alaska. Every year they come back and tell us all about their fabulous cruise but they never take us up on our offer to book for them – until last week, when they booked a £15,000 Fred. Olsen cruise to Spitsbergen.”

The couple told Graeme’s daughter, Gillian Vogel, who works in the agency, that they wanted to make the booking with Westoe Travel because staff ‘have been so good to us over the years’.

Graeme added: “Success at last, but it took 31 years – It just shows you that perseverance pays off in the end.”

The 15-night cruise on Balmoral leaves next month.