NEWS — SPECIAL REPORT
L
CRUISE
P&O Cruises’ Britannia will set sail on March 14
The UK will be in a better position to source more than it has before. When we plan business, we look at the economic situation in our potential source markets, and I think the UK is in a strong place.”
Tell the difference When Leven joined the US-owned cruise line he was vocal about the lack of differentiation between brands. Although he believes progress has been made with
ships is vital for agents’
and two Royal ships launching in 2016, Bouldin said Royal needed agents “more than we have ever needed them before”. “That is why we have to be clear on what we are doing
with our trade partners and it is important that they buy into our vision. We won’t do it without them. “The trade will always be a critical part of our future.”
the rebranding of P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean’s ‘This Changes Everything’ campaign, Leven maintains that more work is needed to make the cruise lines stand apart. “By differentiating ourselves,
we have an opportunity to sell the different experiences on board. However, we still have a long way to go to completely differentiate all our brands. It will be an ongoing thing. “This is the year for the cruise industry to prove how exciting a cruise holiday can be. We have the spotlight on us this year – we just need to make the most of it.” And while Leven believes Clia and most cruise lines are playing their part in attracting a new cruise audience, he doesn’t think that all brands are offering a helping hand.
“I think Clia does a great job uniting us all to have that aim,” he said. “Some cruise brands are doing all they can to change things, others less so. “The example I would give
is for people to ask themselves whether the Princess Cruises TV show [The Cruise Ship on ITV last year], actually did any good for attracting new customers. “Would it have made those that
Anthem of the Seas
haven’t cruised want to cruise?” ❯ Clia comment, page 42 ❯ Cruise 24-page special focus: Destinations, page 59
15 January 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 15
Mobiles and tablets are key
Agents who don’t utilise mobile and tablet technology are missing an opportunity, according to Royal Caribbean boss Stuart Leven.
He said the cruise line had seen a “marked increase” in the number of customers using mobiles or tablets to book their cruise holiday. “It has been quite a rapid
increase over the past six months, which is when we launched an offers section on our website that is optimised for mobiles and tablets. “About half of the activity
we see online is now coming through tablets and mobiles. “Cruise specialists are using this field well, but anyone who isn’t active in this form of online should be – and quickly.”
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