NEWS ROUND-UP IN THE PICTURE: Sum(mit) feat
Travel Counsellors agent Nick Markham, an accessible travel champion, scaled Mount Snowdon in an adapted wheelchair last week to raise money for the group’s chosen charity, Reuben’s Retreat. Accompanied by a team of 14 walkers, who carried
him and his wheelchair the final 100 metres, Markham reached the Welsh peak in under four hours. He said: “Throughout the challenge I focused on how you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it, regardless of whether you’re walking or in a wheelchair.” Nick’s feat has raised more than £1,400 towards a
£2,000 goal for the charity, which supports families of children with life-limiting illnesses. Donate at
justgiving.com/fundraising/nick-markham1. Nick is pictured with his team at the summit.
Saga sets trade target as keel laid on first new-build
Harry Kemble
harry.kemble@
travelweekly.co.uk
Saga Cruises expects trade sales to surge this year as it moves closer to welcoming its “transformational” first new-build ship. Spirit of Discovery’s keel-laying
took place at Meyer Werft’s shipyard in Germany last week and Saga said the vessel was 55% sold for its maiden season, 12 months ahead of its scheduled launch. The vessel is the first of two 999-passenger capacity new-build
ships Saga has on order, with Spirit of Adventure due to launch in 2020. Iain Powell, Saga’s head of trade sales, said the operator’s cruise division had seen an upturn in trade sales since January. Powell, who joined Saga in
January, is tasked with increasing third-party distribution at the over-50s operator, which began selling through the trade in 2014. He said: “Our ambition is to get
trade sales up to 11% [of total sales] this year. We are on target.
When I started, trade [sales] made up about 7% of our cruise business. “The five-year plan is to get
that to more than 22%, but it is all about hitting our targets.” Saga has recruited four more sales staff for its trade-facing on-the-road sales team, created agent incentives and revamped the way accounts are managed. Speaking at the keel-laying
ceremony, Lance Batchelor, Saga’s group chief executive, said: “Our decision to bring two
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travelweekly.co.uk 5 July 2018
FIRST CUT: Saga chief Lance Batchelor (far left) lays the keel for Spirit of Discovery in Germany last week
new boutique cruise ships is in response to overwhelming customer demand. It will be truly transformational for our business.” Powell added that a third
new-build ocean vessel could be
ordered if Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure prove a success. “We would love to build a third because it would show we have delivered on the first two,” he said. The new ships will replace
Saga’s existing two ocean vessels, Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II.
Seabourn plans polar sailings with launch into expedition sector
Seabourn is set to enter the expedition cruise sector after revealing plans to place orders for two new-build ships. The line has signed a letter of
intent with Italian shipbuilding company Mariotti Damen for luxury expedition vessels to be delivered in June 2021 and May 2022. Both 264-passenger capacity
ships will have two submarines on board and carry kayaks and 24 Zodiac inflatable boats. The 23,000-ton vessels will add capacity for Seabourn in destinations including Antarctica and the Arctic. Seabourn president Richard
Meadows said the announcement was “groundbreaking” for the line and for luxury travellers. Lynn Narraway, Seabourn’s UK
and Ireland managing director, said the purpose-built ships were designed to attract new-to-cruise passengers. She added: “The luxury traveller
is always looking for this holiday but might not know it exists.” Itinerary and booking details
will be announced early next year. The first ship will sail in the
Arctic in late summer 2021 before operating in Antarctica the following winter.
COMMENT: “The different scenery and unique experiences reinforce what a fantastic holiday destination the US is” Sarah Lax, page 26
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