CRUISE LAUNCH Royal Caribbean unveils facilities and plans for 7,600-passenger Icon of the Seas ahead of its launch in
Icon of the Seas ‘breaks all Royal records for new ship’
R
oyal Caribbean’s newest ship Icon of the Seas has “broken every record” since going
on sale, according to the line’s international sales chief. Bookings for the ship’s maiden
programme featuring eastern and western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami opened on October 25. Speaking to Travel Weekly on a
trip to London, senior vice-president of international sales Bert Hernandez said: “Icon has got triple the highest number of bookings that we’ve ever had for a new ship. It’s been unbelievable – above all our expectations.” Hernandez said the first sailing
was already full, with one customer paying $94,000 for an Ultimate Family Suite on board. EMEA vice-president Ben
Bouldin added: “It’s not just US guests. We’ve taken a booking in the UK for £77,000.”
Icon has got triple
the highest number of bookings that we’ve ever had for a new ship. It’s been unbelievable
Hernandez said more than 40%
of bookings were made by customers who are “bringing at least one child”. “We’re getting a lot of interest
from families, but 60% of bookings have been from couples,” he added. Most are booking seven-night
cruises but Bouldin said back-to-back 14-night sailings to the east and west Caribbean were popular with Brits, who wanted to make the most of the airfare. Hernandez hailed the trade for
accounting for 50% of Icon bookings so far, with the other half sold direct. Bouldin said more than 2,500
agents in the UK and Ireland had completed the operator’s webinar
training about Icon last week. One agent posted on Facebook
about the ship at 4.30pm, and by 8pm had received 360 enquiries from customers wanting to know more about it, he added. Hernandez noted: “It’s very
difficult to sell a new class of ship so far in advance of it sailing and this time we’ve done the best we’ve ever done in developing assets that will help agents and their customers really understand the ship. “It shows people that Icon is
like nothing they’ve ever seen and nothing else in the industry.” Bouldin said: “Agents who
have sold cruise before expected something amazing from us and we’ve delivered. “But the biggest reaction has been
from those people who haven’t sold cruise before – they see that it’s really pushing boundaries and the sense of excitement about Icon is incredible, which is fantastic.”
Royal seeking ‘year-round’ Perfect Day destinations
Royal Caribbean is targeting “year-round” destinations as it looks to expand its private island portfolio. Hernandez confirmed
developing more Perfect Day private islands was “a significant part” of the line’s business model, adding that Cyprus was an option. Currently, the line offers Perfect
Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas but is restarting its project in Lelepa, Vanuatu, and identifying other opportunities in Mexico and Japan. The line is also revamping its
first private island at Labadee, Haiti, into a Perfect Day experience.
10 3 NOVEMBER 2022
Cyprus is a potential Perfect Day destinaton
Hernandez said: “The
destination has got to have a government that is willing to work with us and they have got to have capacity for long-term, year-round deployment.” Hernandez recently went to
Cyprus to look at the possibility of creating a Perfect Day facility in the eastern Mediterranean. He said a Perfect Day
destination in Cyprus would be “more focused towards Europeans” because US guests tended to prioritise visiting Europe’s cultural sites.
LNG makes Icon ‘more e
Icon of the Seas will be 20% more energy-efficient than Royal Caribbean’s latest Oasis-class vessel, Wonder of the Seas, according to the line’s chief product innovation officer. Icon will be powered by liquefied
natural gas (LNG) – the cleanest marine fuel available to lines – and will create energy on board using fuel cells. Jay Schneider said: “Icon will be 20%
more efficient than Wonder of the Seas as a result of LNG.” Icon will also have a robotic hull
Icon of the Seas
Ben Bouldin
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Oleg_P
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
