Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Redefining the booking experience

Role: Product Designer UX/UI

Project type: Digital transformation & UX Strategy

Sector: Travel

Clients/Customers: B2C

Designing confidence and clarity for every traveller.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines partnered with us (Else), as part of a wider digital transformation, with a specific challenge: redesign the booking journey to be simpler, more accessible, and conversion-led.

With a predominantly older audience (65yrs+), the previous platform had significant usability and accessibility gaps. From simplifying complex flows to improving visual clarity, we reimagined the end-to-end experience to empower all users, regardless of age or digital confidence.

The result? A more inclusive, intuitive booking journey, and a 50% uplift in conversions.

Key wins at a glance

50% increase in conversions

from browsing visitors to bookings.

60% uplift in website engagement

year-on-year.

Designed for a 65yrs+ core audience

with accessibility and usability at its heart.

Gold - DBA Effectiveness award

Recognised for creating an immersive, accessible booking experience that delivered measurable business impact in 2024.

Vision

Creating a digital experience for all ages with accessibility at the forefront

Fred. Olsen’s primary audience is aged 65+, but their existing website didn’t cater to the needs of older or less tech-confident users. The ambition was to design a user-first experience that made planning and booking cruises feel both empowering and enjoyable for everyone.

We set out to create an interface that balanced performance with accessibility, and helped the brand better reflect its point of difference: rich itineraries, smaller ships, and culturally immersive travel.

Discovery

Getting closer to the audience and their decision-making behaviours

We built on previous research by Deloitte and Fred. Olsen’s consultants to define the brand’s core digital audience:

The Enthusiasts – experienced travellers who seek cultural depth, unique itineraries, and a strong sense of community on board.

While Fred. Olsen delivered these values in person, the digital experience failed to showcase them. We focused on improving digital storytelling to engage this audience more effectively online.

To dig deeper, our team conducted customer service call listening and co-led a guest experience workshop. We identified key browsing behaviours that shaped our design strategy:

  • Browsing with intent - Comparing cruise providers and seeking something that stands out.

  • Open to discovery - Visitors exploring options, typically 12 to 18 months from travel.

UX Strategy

Quick wins, real insight, and an evidence-based evolution

We began with a full UX audit of the site and booking engine combining analytics, accessibility reviews, and user feedback:

  • Customer interviews and call centre shadowing revealed pain points, particularly among older users struggling with navigation, readability, and unclear actions.

  • A WCAG accessibility audit identified issues like low contrast text, small font sizes, and inconsistent calls-to-action.

  • The booking engine had a complex structure, with poor visual hierarchy and hidden features that confused even tech-savvy testers.

Design System & Modular Components

Flexible tools for scalable storytelling

To support content teams and ensure consistency, we developed a set of modular design components. These allowed editors to create engaging pages without breaking the structure.

We also defined and built eight high-traffic templates, the “Red Route” pages using the modular system. These acted as a foundation for both style and structure, setting the benchmark for future rollout.

Outcome

A cruise booking experience that converts and includes

The result was a new platform grounded in accessibility, clarity, and ease of use, designed to meet the real needs of Fred. Olsen’s diverse users.

  • A simplified booking engine with progressive, step-by-step guidance.

  • WCAG-compliant accessibility updates, including improved contrast and legibility.

  • Clearer CTAs and intuitive navigation to reduce cognitive load.

  • Fully responsive design across desktop, tablet, and mobile.

  • Enhanced digital storytelling to bring destinations and cultural value to life.