Royal Caribbean to reshape trade strategy ahead of Icon and Utopia launches
Will PayneRoyal Caribbean will look to reshape its trade engagement strategy and further expand its sales team ahead of the debuts of upcoming vessels Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas next year.
Speaking to TTG, the line’s director of sales for the UK, Ireland and Spain, Stuart Byron, said this endeavour would include scope for additional ship visits and fam trips as Royal looks to capitalise on a positive start to the year.
It comes after parent company Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) upgraded its earning projections for a second time this year off the back of "exceptional" demand driven – in part – it said by its travel partners.
"Life is more exciting than ever right now – it’s never dull when you work for a brand like Royal Caribbean – but it really is more exciting than ever," Byron shared. "With Icon and Oasis, it’s like you’re waiting for a bus to come along, and then two of the most spectacular buses arrive in the same year."
Icon and Utopia, which will debut from Miami and Port Canaveral in January 2024 and June 2024 respectively, have helped drive up demand for the Caribbean to pre-pandemic levels, Byron revealed. "Caribbean volume is absolutely flying, which is great, as for the last few years we’ve been quite Europe-focused.
"So there’s a job for us there to re-educate our trade and agent partners about the Caribbean as we’ve got the most amazing assets out there, not just in terms of ships, but also with Perfect Day [Royal’s private island] and our forthcoming vessels sailing in the Caribbean."
Key to the continued success of Royal’s product in the Caribbean and other destinations will be getting its sales team in front of agents to inform and educate them on the new product it has to offer, Byron stressed.
In July, the brand rolled out a new "make your own brochure" tool for the trade, named My Royal Genie, and announced plans to host face-to-face training with more than 1,000 UK agents towards the back end of 2023.
In a bid to further bolster these trade enhancements, the line has set its sights on hiring a new senior business development manager after it appointed former P&O Cruises partnerships manager Adam Blake as key account manager.
"The best way for us to engage with the trade is getting out in front of people again," Byron insisted. "There is so much exciting stuff happening for us to inform and educate agents about to give them the confidence to sell Royal to more customers."
Royal also intends to "get as many agents as possible" to experience its new product first-hand over the coming months, with Byron pledging to do whatever it takes to get agents onboard.
"The aim is always to get as many people to experience the product first-hand," Byron continued. "There is a slight challenge with visits and Icon, as it joins in January in the Caribbean during the wave period, which is a really busy time for agents. But if we can find an opportunity, maybe in the shipyard, or a ship visit closer to the UK for both Icon and Utopia, we will absolutely find a way to make it work."
In the coming weeks, Royal will also look to introduce a new agent-focused competition on its trade engagement platform Club Royal.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
