The UK boss of Royal Caribbean International said the line needs to do more to attract the luxury travel market.
Ben Bouldin, Royal’s associate vice-president and managing director for UK and Ireland, said the line “worked with more agents than anyone else” but conceded there was more work to do.
Speaking onboard Symphony of the Seas on its pre-inaugural sailing this week, Bouldin said: “What we have not done a good job of yet is making sure that the luxury travel market really appreciates the opportunity that Royal Caribbean can provide for them.”
Royal Caribbean has more “bigger, better suites” across its fleet than “most five or six star cruise lines”, according to Bouldin.
He added that he and his sales team needed to identify the agents who have “a higher propensity to sell suites”, adding: “That is one of the things that we are aware of.”
Bouldin said the UK market had returned to where Royal Caribbean wanted it to be after the pound slumped following the Brexit referendum in 2016.
He said: “It is a combination of the rates we are achieving from our guests in the UK, coupled with a more positive exchange rate, so good news for the UK.”
With ship deployment discussions ongoing internally, Bouldin said the economic upturn would allow him to have “a more realistic chance of having an impact” at the negotiating table.