CRUISE NEWS YOU CAN USE
Crystal Cruises eyes more agents for new river brand
Hollie-Rae Merrick
hollie@travelweekly.co.uk
Crystal Cruises is looking to work with a wider network of specialist river cruise agents following the introduction of its river brand.
Luxury line Crystal River Cruises launches the first of its fleet in July with the revamped Crystal Mozart, followed by four new-builds staggered across next year. The river brand’s vice-president
and managing director, Philip Ordever, who previously led international sales and marketing for Crystal’s ocean cruises, said he was discovering new agents because of the river programme. “There are so many agents in
the UK that are selling only river cruise,” he said. “We now have a much broader
network of agents because of this.” Ordever said he was surprised
by the number of specialist river agents not selling ocean cruises, many of whom had evolved from selling escorted tour breaks. Crystal River Cruises’ inaugural season went on sale on November 30, and Ordever said
Shrek, Po, Gloria and pals to sail on Harmony of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International’s new ship Harmony of the Seas will feature DreamWorks characters as part of its children’s entertainment. Characters joining the 5,497-passenger ship, which will homeport in Barcelona when it launches in May, will include Po
Tauck upgrades ships to create ‘a more intimate atmosphere’
More than half of Tauck’s river fleet will be upgraded over the next two years. The company’s five Jewel-class
vessels will gain larger cabins, and casual dining restaurants will be upgraded. A reduction in cabin numbers
from 59 to 49 will see capacity on the vessels cut to 98 passengers. Thirty 150sq ft cabins will be
replaced with 20 cabins, each measuring 225sq ft. The Jewel-class vessels include
Swiss Emerald, Swiss Sapphire, Swiss Jewel, Esprit and Treasures. Tauck’s two-stage plan will
ORDEVER: ‘There are so many UK agents selling only river cruise’ 97.5%
Proportion of global sales via the trade for Crystal’s ocean cruises
the initial response had “been beyond expectations” despite a challenging market. He added: “We’re well ahead of the curve, especially given that we launched this 2016 season six or seven months after all the other river lines had launched. “It’s a new product that no one
has experienced and we went on sale three weeks after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Plus, Americans and Australians are more hesitant at present about where they are going to travel to.” Ordever said he and his team
would be looking at fam trip opportunities for Crystal Mozart. The river line operates on the
same commercial terms as Crystal Cruises, which claims 97.5% of global bookings are made through the trade. Agents wanting to work with the line should contact Elaine Gillard or Mike Dupont at general
sales agent The Cruise Portfolio.
crystalrivercruises.co.uk
from Kung Fu Panda; Shrek; and Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo and the Penguins, all from Madagascar. DreamWorks also features on
sister ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
Children will be able to join
character breakfasts and can attend meet-and-greet sessions. Screenings of DreamWorks films
KUNG FU PANDA: Po joins other DreamWorks characters at sea
will be shown in the ship’s 3D movie theatre. From November 2016, guests staying in a balcony cabin
see its riverboats in France, Swiss Emerald and Swiss Sapphire,
reconfigured, renamed and relaunched ahead of the 2017 season. In the second phase, scheduled
for winter 2017-18, the remaining three Jewel-class ships will undergo identical transformations in time for the 2018 season. The new names for the
refurbished ships have yet to be disclosed. Tauck chief executive Dan Mahar
said: “From day one our approach has always been to limit passenger capacity and, by doing so, provide more spacious cabins and a more
intimate, club-like atmosphere.”
tauck.co.uk
overlooking Central Park or the
Boardwalk on Harmony of the Seas or its sister ships will get added extras. Guests with a view of Central Park will get a lunch for two at Jamie’s Italian or Giovanni’s Table and a bottle of red wine on arrival. Guests overlooking the Boardwalk will get a lunch or dinner for four at Johnny Rockets, a soft drinks beverage package for two and private time on the
38-foot-tall rock-climbing wall.
cruisingpower.co.uk
4 February 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 35
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