From left: Hayley Moore, Princess Cruises; Amy David, Dylan David and Nick Watts, all
Cruise.co.uk; and Nikki Dos Santos, Princess Cruises on board Sun Princess
NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
P
rincess Cruises hopes to build on the relaunch of its OneSource agent platform in October as it expands its
fam trip programme and increases its focus on home-based agents. Speaking during a trade
showcase for about 300 agents on board Sun Princess, UK and Europe sales director Hayley Moore said the line was thinking of “new ways” to engage with agents. The Sphere Class ship’s visit
to Southampton was “hugely symbolic” for the UK market and trade, she added, with the UK being the second-biggest market for Sun Princess and the third-biggest market for the line as a whole.
First-hand experience Moore said Princess Cruises had hosted 1,222 agents and families on ship visits and fam trips on Princess ships, including Sun Princess, between
July and September this year. “People love getting on our
ships and experiencing them, so this is something we are absolutely set to continue,” she added. Moore said OneSource would
be relaunched in October, with a new Princess Academy offering agents the chance to complete modules and apply for “a graduation cruise”. OneSource offers training and resources for Princess and a number of its Carnival sister brands. Moore said she was excited to
be going into 2025 following the recent appointment of two sales team members, who will allow the line to explore “a big opportunity” to work more closely with home-based agents. “We know there’s an increase
in homeworkers and we’ve got amazing consortia out there, so it’s looking at whether we need to
diversify our model in that space to better learn their needs,” she said.
Market confidence Eithne Williamson, vice-president for the UK and Europe, said 2024 had been a “third consecutive record year” for the UK market, adding that strong forward bookings showed agents and customers were “having the faith to book earlier” and not wait for potential later discounts. Princess president John Padgett
also revealed to Travel Weekly that a Mediterranean sailing on board Sun Princess in August 2026 had been adjusted following strong demand for a solar eclipse itinerary released for Sky Princess. The seven-day Sun Princess cruise from Barcelona to Civitavecchia departing on August 8 will now offer the opportunity to witness the total eclipse from the sea on Wednesday, August 12.
LINE ATTRACTS ‘YOUNGER BRITS’
Princess Cruises president John Padgett hailed the UK market as the line noted high repeat rates, strong sales of its Plus and Premier packages and an increase in younger passengers. Padgett said the decision to homeport two ships in the UK in 2026
reflected strength of demand in the line’s third-largest source market. “The UK market is a leader with our bundle product, perhaps the
highest [market] and we are seeing first-time passengers coming back with a very high repeat rate,” he said. “We are also getting younger Brits – not teenagers, but we are seeing an
age [profile] down about five or 10 years.” UK & Europe vice-president Eithne Williamson confirmed bookings
Sun Princess
travelweekly.co.uk
were tracking well ahead year on year, with 2026 bookings 50% ahead of 2025 sales at the same point last year and fly-cruise bookings up 13% year on year. More than 70% of those booked for 2026 have also opted to upgrade from the Princess standard package to either Plus or Premier.
26 SEPTEMBER 2024 13
Rays of Sun-shine Princess Cruises eyes bright future as it hosts 300 agents on Sun Princess. Ella Sagar reports uise
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