NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
Martin MacKinnon: ‘Millions of people don’t have any idea how exciting cruise is’
Southampton-bound: Anthem of the Seas
voyage departing from Dubai on January 27 was £199, although prices for similar sailings in February and March are more expensive.
Competitive pricing “We’ve been really competitive with pricing all the way through the season,” MacKinnon explains. “Te [Arabian Gulf] season finishes in March and we are quite well sold from a Dubai perspective. “To be honest, our focus is not
there anymore in terms of marketing. Tere is plenty of mid-haul stuff in the Med that we are focused on.” Royal will have a revamped Allure
of the Seas based in Barcelona this summer. Te Oasis-class vessel will undergo a 58-day dry dock to the tune of $165 million as part of the Royal Amplified modernisation programme. MacKinnon says Allure will be the best ship in Royal’s fleet once the overhaul is complete. “Every year, we are trying to make
the local hardware slightly beter and even more exciting,” he adds.
travelweekly.co.uk We’re fully
committed to the trade so, if anything, the team will get bigger rather than smaller
Southampton deployment Te UK’s premier port, Southampton, will welcome Anthem of the Seas from May. Te Quantum-class vessel was due to be joined by Independence of the Seas this summer, but Royal opted to move the ship to meet demand for Perfect Day at CocoCay, its private island in the Bahamas. But MacKinnon says having one
ship based in the UK – rather than two – has seen demand soar. “Tere is a lot of competition in Southampton, but we can have a distinct role there. “Our role in Southampton is to
offer premium mainstream,” he says. “Anthem is a premium ship so it can command a higher revenue. “Te trade is very excited about
‘Staggering’: Spectrum of the Seas
that. We have got quite a local following in Southampton. It’s about managing a big demand into a shorter supply, which is a nice place to be.”
Sales team expansion Te line is recruiting for a new key account manager, which will take the number of frontline sales staff to 21. “We’re fully commited to the
trade so, if anything, the team will get bigger rather than smaller,” adds MacKinnon. “Tat just reflects the fact that
we’re busy and things are going well – it is just about geting a bit more support for that team.” In November, Royal confirmed
it was “considering relocating some non-sales UK departments” to Miami. MacKinnon would not share the finer details about the shake-up, which would also affect sister line Azamara and is still being decided, but adds: “We’re restructuring the way that we do business, but this is intended to help us sell more cruises.”
Trade plans Te line last week launched its My Perfect Week competition, offering agents a place on an eight-night trip to the US, which includes a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay. Twenty places can be won by
making bookings, sharing social content and playing the line’s Flippy the Dolphin game through agent loyalty programme My Club Royal. Tis year agents will have
opportunities to see Anthem, Allure and Royal’s second Quantum Ultra- class ship, Odyssey of the Seas, which is slated to launch in November and due to sail out of Rome from 2021. Although the number of places has
not yet been confirmed, MacKinnon promises the trade will have “a big opportunity” this year to visit ships. “Tere will be significantly more fam places than in 2019,” he promises. It is strange to think MacKinnon
has been in the role for just 10 months, such is his knowledge about what makes the trade tick. Spectrum of the Seas really did make an impression.
16 JANUARY 2020 15
PICTURES: Charles Sturge; Roy Riley
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 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120
