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ttglive.com
conference report news
UK Cruise Convention • June 17-19 • Dover
EX-UK ITINERARIES.
HAL grows UK presence
HOLLAND America Line hopes to continue to
increase the number of ex-UK itineraries it offers
each year, after seeing consistent growth in UK
passenger numbers.
Speaking onboard Prinsendam in Dover, HAL’s
sales and marketing executive vice-president,
Rick Meadows, said the line would continue to
invest in marketing and ex-UK cruising.
“The percentage of our passengers from the
UK market is growing significantly,” he said.
“We have seen double-digit growth from last
year to this, and we are confident we will see
the same next year. If we continue to see this
success, then we will continue to plan more
ex-UK cruises each year.”
Next year HAL is offering three round-trips
and a further five itineraries which either
EXPANSION.
embark or disembark in the UK. It is supporting
this with a marketing campaign designed to drive
Disney ‘targets Europe’
customers to their travel agent.
Lee Hayhurst.
Dover a hint at what the line’s forthcoming Read their four ship visit reports:
DISNEY Cruise Line has given a strong hint that it announcement might be. ■ Fred Olsen’s Braemar – report by
will operate more European cruises after it takes “In the next few months we will be sharing Jason Veal of Midlands Co-op Travel
delivery of two new ships, Fantasy and Dream, information about what these two new ships will ■ Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony
in 2011 and 2012. be doing,” he said. – by Ian Warren of GoCruise
The new ships will increase the line’s fleet to “Needless to say we are here in Dover, so that ■ Holland America Line’s Prinsendam –
four and herald a push to grow outside its core gives you a clue as to what might be happening.” also by Ian Warren
US market for the first time. He said the line would be exploring new ■ Princess Cruises’ Tahitian Princess – by
In the UK, leading retailer Reader Offers is opportunities with the UK travel trade. Martin Hay of GoCruise
already selling Disney cruises out of Dover and “We constantly look at ways to increase and Read them at ttglive.com/ukcc
Barcelona to the Mediterranean and the Baltic develop our product while looking at new TTG’s Roving Readers were
next year. itineraries,” said Welch. sponsored by the Port of Dover
To date, Disney has never had to promote its “When we started our cruise line in the 1990s
cruises in the UK because the popularity of the we believed we could give our families a totally
product meant it was guaranteed to sell out in different experience.”
the US. Welch added that he believed quality brands
2010-11 BROCHURE.
Peter Welch, Disney’s UK vice-president, would come to the fore during the current
NCL to sell only cruises
gave delegates at the UK Cruise Convention in economic crisis.
NCL has taken out all of its non-cruise product in
its latest 2010-11 brochure, which also features
LUXURY.
had been lifted due to the line “doing so well”. its newest and largest ship, Norwegian Epic.
Regent delays ship order
Sadler said he believed Regent’s offer of free Stephen Park, the line’s UK general manager,
shore excursions, even on world cruises, had said the decision was the result of last year’s
REGENT Seven Seas Cruises has put plans for a enabled it to outperform the market. trade consultations, which conveyed the
new ship on hold – but insisted the downturn had “We have kept pricing at a reasonable level to message that NCL needed to simplify its product.
not prompted any cutbacks in the delivery of its preserve our pricing integrity,” he said. As a result the line will concentrate on
luxury product. “We are pretty much full until October and cruise-only and a reduced selection of the most
Graham Sadler, UK managing director, said the in the UK we are about 25% up in revenue and popular itineraries.
line was now pleased it did not place a firm order 30% up in heads. Booking values are slightly “We want travel agents to sell our cruise and
for a new ship for which it had drawn up plans down, by about £150.” they can make their money on all the ancillary
before the recession. Regent has just spent $20 million upgrading services,” said Park.
But he said the line, and luxury cruising in two of its ships, Voyager and Mariner, and will “Our skill set is not selling secondary packag-
general, was faring well. A UK recruitment freeze spend more refurbishing Navigator in January. ing, we want to let the agents do that.”
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