A smart add-on with impressive payoff: Inside Southern Star’s upsell success
Southern Star Dolphin Cruise enhanced their guest satisfaction by offering a Preboard Pass, an upgrade that allows guests to board early, choose their seats, and enjoy refreshments before the cruise.
“Oftentimes, you can initiate programs, or ‘tests’ as we like to call them, with very little upfront investment (Preboard Pass cost us $250 to implement) that can pay you back after only a handful of sales.”
Brady Stebbins
CEO
Southern Star Destin’s Original Dolphin Cruises
Southern Star Dolphin Cruise has been a staple of the Destin community since 1994, offering families a memorable dolphin-watching experience along the Emerald Coast. The Southern Star, an 80 foot double-deck, glass-bottom boat, has been custom-built to accommodate up to 149 passengers.
Known for its exceptional service, Southern Star provides comfortable, scenic cruises that allow guests to enjoy pristine waters and local wildlife, including dolphins and seabirds. Featured on major platforms such as CNN and National Geographic, it’s a trusted brand in Destin for unforgettable marine adventures.
Southern Star started using the FareHarbor booking platform in 2022 and, in 2024, quickly realized how an upsell could drive more revenue with little effort.
The challenges
Waiting under the hot Florida sun posed a challenge for guests, who had to endure long lines before boarding. To address this, Southern Star Dolphin Cruise sought a way to offer guests a more comfortable experience while increasing revenue — the Preboard Pass.
The solution: Preboard Pass
Southern Star Dolphin Cruise began offering the Preboard Pass in Spring 2024. This priority boarding system allows guests to board first, select their preferred seats, and enjoy refreshments in the galley before standard boarding begins.
Brady Stebbins says, “On those hot and humid Florida summer days, it’s a game-changer. Folks can’t wait to get on the boat, out of the sun, and grab shade and a refreshment before cruise departure. There’s a lot of value in getting to pick your desired seats on board when a cruise is nearing capacity as well!”
FareHarbor helped Southern Star Dolphin Cruise set up and manage the Preboard Pass system. FareHarbor helped them create custom fields for booking and advised on optimal upsell placement during checkout.
The passes were also added to the general manifest, allowing captains and crew to quickly identify pass holders and prioritize their boarding ahead of standard passengers.
Notably, marketing the Preboard Pass has been an easy transition as well. It’s set up as a custom field add-on and featured prominently during their online check-out — making it a set-it-and-forget-it type of upsell option. Southern Star also equips their sales teams with scripts to sell over the phone to direct bookings.
The results
With 20-25% guests choosing the Preboard Pass, Southern Star has seen positive feedback from guests, especially during hot summer days. At $250 to implement the upgrade, the return on investment has been impressive, with guests appreciating the comfort and convenience of priority boarding.
Southern Star prices the PreBoard Pass at 10%, 15%, or 20% of the total booking value, depending on the cruise item and the number of passes already sold—aiming to limit upsell purchases to around 10 passengers per ride. With 5,755 guests selecting the preboarding option in 2024, it’s clear that even a simple upsell can scale quickly and have lasting positive results.
Guest satisfaction = More revenue
The success of the Preboard Pass is a testament to how even small upgrades can have a significant impact on guest satisfaction and revenue.
To learn more about how FareHarbor can help improve your operations, request a free demo today.
