NCL to host 1,550 agents on Norwegian Aqua fam
Lucy Huxley
Norwegian Cruise Line will take 1,550 UK agents on a three-night round-trip sailing from Southampton on Norwegian Aqua ahead of the ship’s inaugural season next spring. The fam trip was announced
by David Herrera, president of the Miami-headquartered cruise line, on a webcast with Travel Weekly while he was in Europe to meet trade partners and see the ship being built in Italy. He was accompanied on the trade
mission by his international team, including Jason Krimmel, chief sales and marketing officer, and Gary Anslow, regional vice-president and head of UK and Ireland. “We will let [the agents]
experience first-hand why we’re so excited about our new ship and make sure that they have the opportunity to tell their guests why they should be excited to book,” he said. “The UK is critical for us. It’s our
largest market outside North America. Some of these partner relationships have been several years in the making. The best relationships have a personal connection. Our amazing team out of Southampton, and in Europe, build and form these relationships that are critical to our success.”
The first of the line’s expanded
Prima Plus-class vessels, Norwegian Aqua will be 10% larger than the first two Prima-class ships, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. Featuring the Aqua Slidecoaster, the 3,571-passenger vessel will enter service next April, operating seven-day Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral, Florida. Herrera said details about a
new show would be released soon,
Watch the interview with David Herrera in full at:
travelweekly.co.uk
adding: “I’ve seen the show a couple of times now – it’s amazing.” “Other little surprises” will also
be released ahead of the launch, with innovations based on feedback from agents, crew and customers. “Our travel partners are as close to
our business as we are,” he said. Commenting on booking levels,
Herrera said: “We are as well ahead as we’ve ever been. We are very, very happy with the amount of demand that we have today for our cruises. “We want to work with our
partners. I open up most meetings [with partners] with, ‘How can I help? What can we do differently? How can we help you grow your business?’”
Women in Travel CIC unveils new leadership programme
Social enterprise Women in Travel CIC has developed a female leadership programme for businesses and individuals in travel, tourism and hospitality. The LeadHer training covers individual and team leadership skills and influence across the wider industry. Piloted by Intrepid Travel, one participant has already been hired by the operator as an Eastern Europe general manager.
8 27 JUNE 2024
Kuoni recruits Europe experts from Classic for call centre
Kuoni has hired two European specialists for its ‘expert hub’ call centre. Claire Williams and Rachel Stears, who have a combined 55 years’ experience selling premium European trips, moved from Classic Collection. The hub aims to ensure agents speak to advisors with the most knowledge about the destination in question.
Norwegian Aqua under construction in Italy; inset, David Herrara
Carnival reports record $5.8bn revenue for Q2
Carnival Corporation has swung back into profit and reported record second-quarter revenues of $5.8 billion amid continuing strong demand for cruising. For the three months to May 31,
net income was $92 million, an increase of nearly $500 million compared with 2023. Adjusted net income was $134 million, driven by higher ticket prices, higher onboard spending and the timing of expenses between quarters. The cumulative booked position
for the remainder of 2024 was reported to be the best on record for both price and occupancy. Chief executive Josh Weinstein
said: “We closed yet another quarter delivering records, this time across revenues, operating income, customer deposits and booking levels. Based on continued strong demand trends, we are taking up our expectations for the year. Weinstein hailed the role of
agents, saying: “We couldn’t do it without the support from our amazing travel agent partners.” Carnival Corporation – the
parent of brands including P&O Cruises, Cunard and Carnival Cruise Line – said in its results statement: “The company continues to experience strong bookings momentum driven by record booking volumes for 2025 sailings.”
Jet2holidays commissions firm to audit water parks at 50 hotels
Jet2holidays has contracted a specialist firm to inspect and audit water parks for safety at more than 50 hotels ahead of the summer season. Properties featuring water parks across Spain, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Turkey and Croatia will be covered. The Fun Lab, an engineering firm and accredited inspection entity, will conduct the checks.
travelweekly.co.uk
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