ttglive.com Interview Carol Marlow, P&O Cruises


Sailing into a new year of challenges


Carol Marlow will later this year be reunited with a ship that has followed her from Swan Hellenic to Princess and on to P&O Cruises. She tells Sophie Griffiths about the challenges they both face in 2011


dead and overfed” to become part of the mainstream tourism industry. It has also seen the number of Britons taking a cruise more than treble, up to 1.65 million in 2010, compared with 522,000 when Marlow became managing director of Swan Hellenic in 1997. Despite its growing popularity Marlow,


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now P&O Cruises’ managing director, admits the sector has faced, and is likely to continue facing, big challenges. “Last year was an interesting year for the


economy as a whole,” she says, with more than a dash of understate- ment. And it seems 2011 will be just as interest- ing, as lines struggle to adjust to the rising cost of fuel. She adds: “We’re looking at ways we can mitigate the fuel rise and fuel ships differently in future. It’s impor- tant to make sure cruising stays at the excellent value it is now.” The pressure on prices


from rising costs was seen this week as P&O and Cunard announced fuel supplement increases for all new bookings made from February 28 – to £6 per person per day, up to a maximum of £200 per person.


t is almost 14 years since Carol Marlow began her cruise career – a period that has seen the industry change from holidays for the stereotypical “newly wed, nearly


Regardless of prices, fuel will remain a long-term issue because of new regulations by the International Maritime Organisation which mean that by 2020, the fuel that ships burn must emit no more than 0.5% sulphur. “We have to explain to the powers that be what effect these changes will have on the industry,” Marlow says. “There are ongoing talks with government officials. It’s something we have to muster and lobby against. We need to be mindful of the availability of types of fuel.”


Pay level lobbying The industry is also lobbying against EU plans to equalise the pay of cruise ship employees to European levels. “We want to have happy crew members, and at P&O we have crew members that come back year after year, but we have to make sure the wages are sensible,” she says.


But 2011 looks set to be an exciting year for P&O. When Marlow was at Swan Hellenic, it brought in the ship Minerva II. Then, when Marlow trans- ferred to Princess, Minerva II followed


Managing director Carol Marlow is expecting another tricky year for the cruise sector – and backs TTG’s Trust in Travel Agents campaign


as Royal Princess. So it is perhaps fitting that now Marlow is at P&O, she will be rejoined by the same ship again when the line takes it on in May under the new name Adonia.


Carrying just 710 passengers, the adults-only


vessel will be the smallest in P&O’s fleet, arriving a month after Artemis and Arcadia retire. Marlow says it is already selling “very well”. “She’s a beautiful ship; small, but appealing to those that want holidays exclusive to adults. During the inaugural period, agents will be able to come onboard and see it and, hopefully, we’ll be running some fam trips as well.”


Getting agents onboard P&O is also preparing for the conversion of Oriana, which, after a revamp, will become exclusive for adults from November. Marlow is also gearing up for the relaunch of


the P&O Cruise Academy online training course in May, which replaces its Waves of Wisdom programme. “It will be like moving our training up from GCSE to degree level. When agents get to the top level they can get rewards such as cruises, so they’ll continue to learn about the brand and our ships when they’re on the ship.” Marlow was interviewed before CCS announced a series of changes to commission levels. She insists that agents remained vital to P&O’s strategy. “We launched the CCS booking engine in November to make it easier for agents to modify their bookings,” she says. The move has worked – about 90% of the


line’s bookings from agents are now made online, up from 75% before November. The AskCCS.com website has also proved popular since its launch in August, receiving more than 10,000 questions from agents. “Most of our business comes from agents,” Marlow says. “That’s why I support TTG’s Trust in Travel Agents. It’s a great campaign.”


news


Carol’s choices


Favourite ship “Whichever one I’m on, but I’m going on holiday on Ventura (pictured) this month.”


Favourite destination “Sailing into Sydney harbour – it’s breathtaking.”


Favourite shore excursion “A visit to Noel Coward’s house in the Caribbean.”


Favourite onboard restaurant “Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu restaurant on Azura.”


18.02.2011 09


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