Retailers report boom as UK cruises go on sale


Ben Ireland and Phil Davies


Travel agents have reported “resoundingly positive” sales of domestic cruise bookings for this summer as lines have begun to put ‘seacation’ itineraries on sale. Hays Travel set up extra helplines


and online registration to meet demand. Chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall told the Future of Travel Spring Forum the sailings were a “huge opportunity” and advised agents to focus on ships’ onboard facilities to “bring that to life”. Barrhead Travel said its agents


logged on early to help customers register interest in advance of some cruises going on sale. President Jacqueline Dobson reported interest from new-to-cruise customers, particularly families, and praised the “very accessible” and “good-value” cruise product on offer. Iglu Cruise reported its highest


volumes of traffic and bookings since the beginning of the Covid crisis on Monday. The online cruise specialist


McAuley to leave Gold Medal to join Silver Travel Advisor


Lisa McAuley, managing director of Gold Medal, is to leave the operator in July to assume a new executive position with Silver Travel Advisor. McAuley has acquired a majority


share in the publisher, deals and advice site for the over-50s which has 123,000 members and of which she is already a non-executive director.


travelweekly.co.uk Lisa McAuley She will remain managing


director of dnata Travel-owned Gold Medal, which she joined in 2018, until July, with the delivery


Balmoral outside Dover Fred Olsen’s


said its traffic was up by 300% at 9am and remained 50% up on Tuesday. Simone Clark, senior vice-president


of global supply, hailed the response to the cruises going on sale as “resoundingly positive”. The spike followed P&O Cruises


putting the maiden voyage of Iona on sale at 8.30am on Monday. The line’s website temporarily crashed due to “unprecedented demand” but was up and running again by lunchtime. Some agents reported they were


able to get through to P&O where direct customers could not. President Paul Ludlow said: “We hoped these domestic cruises would


be popular but we’ve never seen such significant and immediate demand.” Princess Cruises, Fred Olsen


Cruise Lines, Cunard, Saga, Marella Cruises, Riviera Travel, Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises, Viking and Tradewind Voyages are all planning cruises in British waters this summer. Speaking on a Travel Weekly


webcast, MSC chief executive Gianni Onorato said the line was considering bringing a larger ship or additional vessels to the UK to meet demand. MSC Magnifica is due to sail from Southampton from May 20 and guests


are not required to be vaccinated. i News You Can Use, page 16


MOVERS and SHAKERS


Z The Inspire Group has appointed former Travel Network


Group chief operating officer Lisa Henning as managing director of Inspire Europe. Henning will join the Cheshire-based operator and travel agency, which specialises in travel rewards and loyalty, on April 12 with responsibility for the day- to-day running of the £25 million turnover business.


Z Explore has appointed former Intrepid Group and G Adventures


executive Michael Edwards as managing director. Edwards will join Explore on April 5, following consultancy roles at Nomadic Tribe and The Travel Collective. He spent six years at Intrepid up to 2019, including as chief growth officer.


Z MSC Group has unveiled the five senior managers of its new luxury


of a new Gold Medal website her priority and a three-year plan for the business put in place. Recruitment for a successor is


under way. Debbie Marshall, founder


of Silver Travel Advisor, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, is retaining a minority shareholding and will move to an advisory role later this year. McAuley said: “When the


opportunity presented itself to invest in Silver Travel Advisor it was


impossible to turn down.” i Get Social, page 25


brand. Chief executive Michael Ungerer has recruited Chris Austin (pictured) from Seabourn as chief sales officer, Bacardi’s Sarah Doyle as chief marketing officer, Thatcher Brown from Dream Cruises as commercial and strategic advisor, Sacha Rougier, former managing director of Cruise Gate, as head of itinerary planning and shore experience; and ex- Crystal Cruises vice-president John Stoll as destination experience advisor.


25 MARCH 2021


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