NEWS CONFERENCE REPORT
Clia Conference: More than 450 agents attend the cruise body’s #GenerationCruise themed event. Harry Kemble reports from Southampton
Co-moderators Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly, and Andy Harmer, Clia
‘Adopt Amazon formula to deliver incredible cruises’
Cruise lines should adopt the ‘Amazon formula’ to make going on holiday as frictionless as possible and appeal to land-based holidaymakers.
Princess Cruises’ Rai Caluori said the sector needed to make taking a holiday at sea as “simple” and “easy” as possible to attract new-to-cruise passengers. When choosing to take a holiday
on land, Caluori said he had been left disappointed “99% of the time”. He said: “Our role in the cruise industry is to deliver the most incredible holiday experiences. We do this by making things simpler, easier, better and faster.” For the past few years, Princess Cruises’ aim had been to minimise friction, said Caluori, executive vice-president for guest experience and product development. He also said it was “inexcusable”
to suffer questionable service. “How can we eliminate friction?
We increase personalisation. It is the Amazon formula. That delivers experience maximisation,” he said. “We believe that the ultimate cruise holiday is one that requires
nothing from the guest.” He added that over time the
“greater population” would realise a cruise holiday was “an incredible-value proposition”. He stressed how important it
was that travel agents experienced a cruise “as soon as possible”, adding that they were selling “a life-changing proposition”. “This is a fun business that brings
incredible joy to many people,” he said, adding: “I cannot see any other business like it. You can feel it in this room – it is palpable.”
Meanwhile, Caluori told
delegates that the wearable Ocean Medallion technology, which Princess Cruises is developing and which was delayed, would be rolled out later this year. “Our aim for Ocean Medallion is to have it functioning at 100%
later this year,” he said. ■ This year’s Clia River Cruise Conference will be held in Paris for the first time on November 10-11. The eighth annual conference will look at developments and trends in the river cruise sector.
All aboard Saga’s Spirit of Discovery
Saga invited every agent at the conference to experience an overnight stay on its new ship Spirit of Discovery next year. Iain Powell, the cruise line’s head of trade sales, offered 400 agents the chance to see the 999-passenger vessel in July 2019. Those who take up the offer will be joined by 300 other members of
the trade, who will have been approached individually by Saga in the coming months or will have earned a spot through incentives. Powell said: “The main thing we will be showcasing is that Spirit of
Discovery is a luxury small cruise ship built for the UK market.” Meanwhile, MSC Cruises invited every delegate to the launch of MSC Bellissima in Southampton next March.
Post-Brexit sales ‘show confidence’
More than half the cruises being booked now are for sailings after March 29, 2019, the deadline for Brexit – showing the “great confidence” passengers have in life outside the European Union. Stuart Leven, Clia UK &
Ireland chairman, said the sector’s future looked positive just 10 months before Britain’s departure from the EU. He said: “More than half the cruise holidays now being sold depart after the March deadline. We have passed that threshold. “There’s a great confidence out there that things will continue as they are.”
Rai Caluori, Princess Cruises
Iain Powell, Saga
12
travelweekly.co.uk 31 May 2018
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
