NEWS CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Royal banks on European markets to fill Med sailings
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Adam Goldstein is a keynote speaker at next week’s Clia Conference. By Hollie-Rae Merrick
UK agents are making up for fewer Americans travelling to Europe by selling a greater number of Mediterranean cruises for Royal Caribbean Cruises, the lines’ president said.
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ three
brands have had to place more reliance on European markets to sell Mediterranean cruises to make up for a shortfall in US sales. Adam Goldstein, president
and chief operating officer for the parent of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, applauded the efforts of the line’s UK sales operation and the trade for stepping up in challenging geopolitical circumstances. “We’re very pleased with how
consumer is slightly less likely to want to do that currently.” His comments came just days
after the cruise giant published its first-quarter results which showed the lines had suffered “headwinds” in the Mediterranean. A similar message was shared
Goldstein: ‘We are relying on Europe, and the UK in particular’
the UK is doing,” said Goldstein. “There is the (EU referendum)
vote on June 23 but, notwith- standing that, we are very pleased. “We have talked a lot recently
about the versatility in the market. When one market is less inclined to travel somewhere – in this instance the US to the Mediterranean – we have the ability, because of how widely we are sold, to rely on other markets. “We are relying on Europe, and the UK in particular, to sell our Med cruises because the US
last week by Viking River Cruises founder Torstein Hagen, who said the US had “failed to meet expectations” for its 2016 European sailings, while a slump was also reflected in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ results out this week. Royal Caribbean Cruises said
it was projecting a record year, insisting that strong first-quarter revenues, combined with strong demand for North American sailings, was “offsetting weaker demand for Mediterranean sailings from North Americans”. Goldstein said the UK market
was key to his brands and insisted that agents would always be a “fundamental part of Royal Caribbean’s business”. “That will
never change,” he added. ›Travel Weekly is trade media partner for Clia Conference 2016 in Southampton on May 18-20 › News You Can Use, page 26
Goldstein: Plan for future to safeguard your business
Agents who constantly review their business and strategically plan for the future are less at risk of failure, according to the boss of cruise giant Royal Caribbean Cruises. Adam Goldstein said the principles remained the same no matter what size the company.
As part of his presentation
at the 10th annual Clia Conference next week, he will urge agents to plan ahead, particularly in the current challenging climate. Goldstein, president and chief operating officer for Royal Caribbean’s three brands, warned that agents who don’t assess their financial structure, competition and future trends wouldn’t survive. “Strategic planning is key,”
Goldstein said. “It is vitally important to a company of Royal Caribbean’s size, but the exact same principles are there for small businesses. “You have to look at the bigger picture, so it’s important to reflect on how your business has been achieving. Look at your competition too. Those that don’t are at risk of not surviving another year.”
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travelweekly.co.uk 12 May 2016
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