Celebrity unveils expanded educational programme with 1,000 agent places
Harry KembleCelebrity Cruises expects more than 1,000 UK and Irish agents to experience its ships next year across an expanded educational programme.
UK and Ireland sales director Claire Stirrup strongly hinted that the trade would be invited on the fourth Edge-series ship, Celebrity Ascent, in 2024 and confirmed there would be a seminar at sea sailing within the educational programme.
This year, the line organised 10 ship visits, which nearly 450 agents attended, but next year it will host agents across 16 ship visits.
Stirrup said: “We’re expanding the ship visit programme in 2024. We know that if agents get on these ships, it will help them understand the product.
“We’ve just been thinking about how we can immerse the trade in the Celebrity experience. Watch this space.
“We’re going to be taking advantage of all the UK ports we sail to, from Liverpool to Scotland and Ireland.”
But she added that it was “very likely” there would be an educational event on Celebrity Ascent, which will operate itineraries from Barcelona and Civitavecchia.
Celebrity has released a new advert that will appear on TV, video-on-demand and YouTube to help drive bookings. It will run until the end of the wave season.
The advert’s strapline is “Have It All”, meaning why have just one restaurant or one beach when you can “Have It All” while sailing on a Celebrity ship.
Giles Hawke, EMEA vice-president, said releasing the advert before Christmas would benefit agents. “It really helps agents because customers ask about it,” he explained.
“It’s partly to steal a march [on other companies], but it means when agents get to the post-Christmas period they can get straight to booking holidays.”
Hawke noted how December was traditionally a “surprisingly good” month for bookings.
Stirrup added: “The trade prefers a longer campaign. All holiday companies are coming out with their campaigns that bit earlier because it gives the trade a chance.”
Due to ongoing airlift issues, Hawke confirmed that Celebrity is offering £49 flights from Gatwick and Manchester to the Mediterranean next summer.
“Flying from the north, Scotland and Ireland, it has been challenging,” explained Hawke. “There has not been the airlift that we had hoped for.”
Hawke added that Celebrity was looking to secure charter flights for next year, but admitted they would likely not be available until 2025.
Nonetheless, Hawke said the line hoped to grow sales from the UK in 2024. “We’ll be banging the drum and making sure that agents understand how to sell Celebrity,” he added.
“This year has been a record-breaking one and we expect next year to be even bigger.”
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