NEWS YOU CAN USE — CRUISE NEWS
Lucy Huxley Norwegian eyes international growth to fill capacity
Norwegian Cruise Line says it needs to “get serious” about growing international markets to fill its ships as it reaches a “tipping point” in terms of new capacity. The line, which recently launched Breakaway and Getaway, will add another four ships between 2015 and 2020. Francis Riley, director of international markets, said: “We need to be looking at the long- term strategic investment in international markets; whether that’s through marketing, buying more charter seats, or how we’re driving more distribution.” He said getting more agents selling Norwegian, and carrying out more training was key. “The biggest opportunity for us is to support the capacity growth that’s coming in with all our new ships by developing our international business – and that bodes well for the UK as it’s our biggest market outside the US.”
CRUISE NEWS IN BRIEF
Number of consecutive
24
quarters of growth reported by Norwegian
His views echo those of Royal
Caribbean sales
director Ben Bouldin, who last week said the cruise
sector needed to change
perceptions to fill ships. Riley said: “My biggest fear is that, typically, there’s only one cruise specialist in any agency.” He added that all agents sell
packages, but they don’t all feel comfortable selling cruise. “It’s our responsibility as an industry to tackle this issue.” Riley claimed Norwegian’s
Partners First scheme was enjoying huge success and was
Riley hopes Epic refit will attract more European passengers
Norwegian Cruise Line boss Francis Riley hopes that at least 20% of passengers on Norwegian Epic, which will be based year-round in Europe next year, will be British. Riley said although the UK was
Norwegian’s biggest international market, the 15-day refit that
Epic will undergo ahead of its deployment to Barcelona would ensure the ship is “more suited to the European market”.
rewarding agents who work in true partnership with the line. Riley claimed that despite
reducing base commission to 10%, Norwegian had paid out “just as much if not more” in rewards to those key agents that had performed really well for the line. “Agents have the opportunity to
earn well in excess of the base rate and many do,” he said. “Many of them are retaining
more commission than they ever have done with us.” Riley said Norwegian, having
posted 24 quarters of consecutive growth, could now claim to be “industry-leading rather than industry following”.
ncl.com
“The UK is a huge contributor in terms of guests for Epic. We’re customising the ship for Europeans and of course the UK is a considerable part of that process,” he said. He would not be drawn on what the changes would be but said they could cover every aspect of the ship from hardware to dining and entertainment options. Riley said the UK business was
continuing to grow.
ncl.com
Quark Expeditions unveils third ship in Antarctic fleet Quark Expeditions has introduced a new small expedition ship to its Antarctic fleet. The 199-passenger Ocean Endeavour will replace Sea Spirit during the 2015-16 Antarctic season. The ship will sail 12 voyages to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia from November 2015.
quarkexpeditions.com
Carnival Pride to operate new Caribbean cruises Carnival Pride will operate a series of 10, 11 and 14-day Caribbean round-trip cruises from Baltimore and one-way sailings between Baltimore and San Juan for the first time in 2015-16. It will also operate five-day Bermuda cruises and six and eight-day Bahamas and Caribbean voyages, beginning in October 2015.
carnival.co.uk
Tauck adds two ships for Christmas market cruises Tauck is increasing the number of ships and sailings for its Christmas market cruises on the Danube and Rhine, boosting departures by two-thirds. New ships Inspire and Savor will join Treasures and Swiss Jewel on two Christmas market itineraries. Sailings lead in at £2,550 on the Rhine and £2,590 on the Danube.
tauck.com
Celebrity offers free flights in new 2015 promotion Celebrity Cruises is offering free flights to European destinations as part of its Up, Up and Away promotion for 2015. The offer applies to voyages including Celebrity Reflections’ 10 and 11-night sailings in the eastern Mediterranean in May and June.
cruisingpower.co.uk
28 August 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 21
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