Cruise chiefs identify ‘great opportunity’ for UK agents to fill late capacity

Cruise line sales chiefs have urged UK agents to make the most of “opportunities” to secure cruise bookings for this season as other markets continue to soften.

 

Speaking to more than 800 delegates at the annual Clia Conference in Southampton, leaders highlighted there was still strong demand for cruises looking further ahead, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty from the Middle East conflict.

 

Celestyal chief commercial officer Lee Haslett said: “We are a global company that sources globally and we are seeing some softness in Australia and New Zealand, which is absolutely opening up opportunities for Brits late booking for the summer.

 

“We’ve also seen a double-digit decline in Americans travelling to the eastern Med this summer in that peak period, so there is going to be some late inventory available for the European market.”

 

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He added: “If I were a travel agent, I would be looking at what opportunities there are for late booking. I would not forget this season as it’s a great opportunity.”

 

Haslett said now the company’s two ships have successfully relocated from the Middle East to Piraeus and Lavrion in Greece, there will be a focus on extending the season in the eastern Mediterranean and launching in the western Mediterranean for the first time, with ports of call in Lisbon, Barcelona and Istanbul.

 

While cruise-only fares may be lower, Haslett emphasised there was “a massive opportunity" to package flights and hotels to create longer stays where the brand had seen “brilliant growth”.

 

“Prices are key,” he said, but added: “If you look at the package price of it, there is absolute value for travel agents to create earning potential.”

 

Similarly, Princess Cruises UK, Ireland and EMEA vice-president Eithne Williamson said there was “definitely an opportunity” for UK passengers to fill up capacity as several markets had been affected by the Middle East conflict.

 

“It has impacted a couple of markets such as the Asian and Australian market where it’s challenging for them to be able to travel because of the flight impact, and maybe some of our American guests are a little concerned about travelling to Europe,” she said.

 

“We’re having more conversations with our colleagues in the US about what we can do to be able to support, and it is driving the importance of international sourcing.”

 

She added the UK and Ireland market was “one people believe in” and is growing.

 

Royal Caribbean vice-president and managing director for EMEA Gerard Nolan said the line had come into the turn-of-year period “in a very good position” and that the family brand had been “working our way through” the last few months of uncertainty.

 

He said: “What is really clear is guests still want to travel and people are ring-fencing their savings for travel and we are leaning into that.

 

“At a product level, we have naturally seen more people gravitate to Europe.”

 

He attributed this in part to the launch of the newest Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas, in Europe and “people second-guessing about travel to the US”, which he said had stabilised over the last few weeks.

 

Nolan added: “It is not without its challenges, and we are very single-minded on where we are headed.”

 

Holland America Line and Seabourn senior vice-president Rob Coleman said there had been “momentum” building during the wave period, which had since seen “a slowdown” because of the Middle East conflict.

 

However, he added different markets “no longer react the same way” and “do not stop and revisit everything they have planned”.

 

Coleman said: “People paused for a brief moment, but then we saw things continue forward and the trajectory has continued, which is particularly true for the luxury market, where people who made plans are continuing with what they have.

 

“We are also seeing them continue to make decisions for 2027, 2028 and 2029.”

 

John Lovell, board member and senior advisor for Virgin Voyages, said the adult-only line was “not seeing the pressure some colleagues are seeing” and was seeing “very strong continuing growth”.

 

He said on average 35% of people on board its four-ship fleet were new-to-cruise, showing it was “not a zero-sum game” in the cruise industry.