NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Ship launch: Line hosts UK agents at event in Florida and the Bahamas. Harry Kemble reports


Royal eyes ‘stunning’ wave as it names Odyssey of the Seas


R


oyal Caribbean International’s boss believes it could be a “stunning” wave sales period if agencies can get “staffed up”


and “ready to go”. President and chief executive Michael Bayley


admitted the line was “shocked” by the volume of direct business it attracted during the pandemic. He said he was “concerned about the trade


channel because it was significantly below what we would expect”. “Naturally, a lot of businesses had to close or


slow down and we understood it would take time for our partners to re-engage and trade,” he said. But Bayley noted trade sales were “increasing”


every day and that Royal was “rooting” for agents. “We want [agents] to get that business back up


and firing on all cylinders,” he said. “The sooner the better – ideally pre-wave. If


we can get the entire travel advisory community up and functioning, ready to go, staffed up, it could be a stunning wave.” Bayley said Royal was currently spending


more on marketing each month than ever before and was “seeing the results coming through”. Turning to the ex-UK market, he said


deploying a second Royal Caribbean ship out


of Southampton in the future was “a given” following Anthem of the Seas’ strong sales performance this year. Bayley admitted he had been “sceptical” about


how successful Anthem would be ahead of its UK season but said the Quantum-class vessel, the first Royal ship to restart revenue sailings in Europe, was “a hit” and did “very well”. Asked about the chances of increasing ex-UK


capacity, Bayley said: “I would say that is a given. I would say fairly confidently we will be increasing capacity in the UK. “We’ve got a portfolio of wonderful ships so I


don’t know which ship it would be, but I feel pretty good that we’ll be adding capacity into the UK.”


Odyssey of the Seas


Line to axe plastics in favour of aluminium


Royal Caribbean Group will begin phasing out single-use plastics before next month and switch to using aluminium cans. The parent of Royal Caribbean


International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises said the pandemic forced it to postpone plans to do so. It now aims to completely phase out single-use plastics by November next year. Nick Rose, associate vice-president of


environmental stewardship, said: “Aluminium can be recycled and is a commodity that can be sold. Moving to cans is the best step forward right now.” Royal scrapped plastic straws in 2018


and announced plans to remove condiment packets, cups and bags following an audit. Odyssey of the Seas features shore power


connectivity which removes carbon emissions in port and has two emissions purification systems which remove 98% of sulphur. Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships, due to


launch from 2023, will use liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is cleaner than traditional fuels. But Rose said it was difficult to retro-fit existing ships with LNG capability.


AGENTS’ VIEWS


Royal showcased both Odyssey and Perfect Day at Coco Cay to agents as part of the ship’s launch


Sarah Hart, Hays Travel “Odyssey is probably the nicest Royal ship I’ve been on and I’ve been on Independence, Navigatorand Harmony. I prefer the layout. You could sell this to families, honeymooners and couples.”


8 18 NOVEMBER 2021


Eshaa Patel, Virgin Holidays “Royal has gone above and beyond with Odyssey of the Seas. The entertainment is standout compared to other cruise lines. I would recommend this to couples and singles.”


Kerry Barrett, Scotland’s Cruise Centre “Odyssey has the wow factor. This is my first Royal ship. It’s open to everybody. It’s good for families; there are great kids’ clubs for everyone up to 18.”


t ravelweek l y.co.uk tr elweekly uk


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