SHIP LAUNCH
Hays Travel to send 70 agents on a Prima sailing
H
ays Travel will send 70 of its retail cruise experts and home-based Personal Travel
Consultants on one of Norwegian Prima’s first sailings to enable them to sell it with confidence. Speaking to Travel Weekly on the ship on its christening sailing from Reykjavik, chair Dame Irene Hays stressed how important it is for agents to experience the product first-hand. “Because cruise is such a big
growth market for us, we have our people coming out on the first sailings to understand the product and therefore to be able to sell it to their customers more effectively,” she said. “That’s vitally important.” Hays Travel is due to welcome
Cruise is going to
be so huge. We think it’s vitally important our agents can see and taste the difference
its latest intake of apprentices this month. They will be given more cruise training than previous apprentices due to the firm’s increased focus on the sector, added Hays. “Traditionally, you’d be training
land travel and then cruise,” she said. “But cruise is going to be so huge.
We think it’s vitally important that they can see and touch and taste the difference. “I am passionate about our people
having the opportunity to experience what I can experience.” Hays said Prima was an example of
how cruise ships and the sector as a whole have developed in recent years. The agency’s head of cruise,
Catriona Parsons, who was also on board for the christening sailing, was able to watch her daughter perform in the show Summer: The Donna Summer Musical in the ship’s theatre. Eve Parsons stars as one of Donna
Summer’s sisters, as well as in the ensemble, and is an understudy for the protagonist. Catriona said: “I had been invited
on the sailing even before Eve got the audition for Prima. I couldn’t believe it when she told me she had got an audition for Norwegian. The audition process was massive.” Eve will be on board Norwegian
Prima until February. “I’m super proud of her,” said Catriona.
PRIMA IN NUMBERS
Guests: 3,100 Crew: 1,506
Bars and restaurants: 35 including 8 speciality restaurants
Levels spanned by Prima Speedway track: 3 Height in decks of The Drop slide: 10
Ranking for outdoor space across NCL fleet: 1st
Number of Prima-class ships due to be delivered by 2027: 6
10 8 SEPTEMBER 2022
travelweekly.co.uk
Catriona Parsons (right) and her daughter Eve
NCL hosts UK agents
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