NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
Artist’s impression of Utopia of the Seas at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay island in the Bahamas
record sales Byron agreed that selling cruises
is “complicated” as agents have to match customers to their ideal cruise, explaining nuances about different ships and drinks packages.
Smart sales tool “We think My Royal Genie is one of the smartest sales tools we’ve ever developed,” he added. “It’s taking all our global content
and condensing it – it will serve up the ideal holiday for that person in front of you.” Alex Dixon, business solutions
director at World Travel Holdings UK, parent of Cruise118, agreed My Royal Genie is “a fabulous idea”, but asked: “How does that fit into a streamlined contact centre where we’re trying to deal with up to 30 cruise lines?” Michael Wilson, managing
director at Bolsover Cruise Club,
travelweekly.co.uk
When you get someone like Messi as a brand ambassador, that’s game-changing
also flagged a problem that some confirmations from cruise lines don’t always fully reflect what customers actually booked, with features such as onboard credit. Byron agreed a balance is needed
between getting detailed information to agents and helping them to be inspirational. “Cruise is complicated,” he said.
“We don’t want people just doing ‘OK, next, next…’ We’re selling something pretty special – and it isn’t the cheapest.” There are “tonnes of examples” of agents upselling with My Royal
Genie, according to Byron, because it helps agents and clients understand what they get for their money. Jacqueline Dobson, Barrhead
Travel president, said feedback about the tool had been “fantastic”. “We try to have a cruise
specialist within each branch,” she said. “We’re encouraging staff to use My Royal Genie.”
Capitalising on complexity Gary Lewis, The Travel Network Group chief executive, agreed dealing with complexity while quickly making bookings is challenging. But he said complexity is
“fantastic” as agents can help clients with add-ons and matching the right cruise to the right person. Peter Cullen, commercial director
at online agency Click&Go, said: “Travel agents like complexity to a point; it’s about getting the balance
right, so it’s simplified enough for consumers to understand what they’re potentially getting, and simplified enough to sell it quickly.” Dave Mills,
Iglu.com chief
commercial officer, agreed that it is a “tricky” balance, adding: “[Royal Caribbean] is starting to tap into that digital generation, which is flitting about all over the place. “The amount of time
that you’ve got to have that conversation is ever shorter, so you’ve got to capture people’s imaginations quicker.” The agents agreed that
marketing with influencers can help to attract new clients. Lisa McAuley, Hays Travel’s
strategy director, said: “When you get someone like Messi as a brand ambassador, that’s game-changing.”
19 OCTOBER 2023 11
PICTURE: Phil Gammon
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