Royal Caribbean brings back incentive to win ‘unforgettable’ China and Japan trip

UK agents are being offered a second chance to visit China and Japan with Royal Caribbean International after the line launched the second iteration of its hugely successful Fortune Awaits competition.

The cruise line has partnered with Travel Weekly to launch ‘Fortune Awaits 2.0’, which will see 10 winners heading east on October 16 for a seven-night experience.

Ben Bouldin, president of China and managing director of Asia, told a Travel Weekly webcast that last year’s trip had been “such a success” with “a fabulous group”, they decided to rerun the competition.

Bouldin said: “I am keen to open the eyes of many of the agents and partners I know here in the UK and Europe to the opportunity of cruising in Shanghai and across Asia-Pacific because I love the destinations we can go and see.

“I always say Royal Caribbean provides a comfort blanket to people to experience places with a bit of reassurance.

“By taking more agents to China and showing them the experience, we are constantly building that confidence.”

The prize includes return flights to Shanghai from Heathrow, time to explore the city, VIP tickets to the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters tennis tournament and a cruise on Spectrum of the Seas to Okinawa in Japan.

To enter, agents need to complete a training course on Online Travel Training about Royal Caribbean’s offering in China and Japan and cut the branded Chinese fan from the cover wrap for the latest issue of Travel Weekly (July 30) and use it to take “the most creative” picture possible.

Bouldin said: “We are looking for agents who have got personality and the diligence, drive and discipline to do the training.

“We know from last year we got that blend perfectly right, and if we get the same again or better, that will be amazing.”

Winners’ thoughts

Kieran Eccles-Miller, owner of Magical Traveller, said: “I genuinely think it has been a life-changing trip which has defined our business plan for the last 12 months.”

He added he has since organised to host a group to China inspired by his experiences last year, as well as booking two personal trips to Shanghai as he “fell in love” with the destination.

Caitlin O’Neill, a travel consultant with Travelbag, said she was “incredibly impressed” by China, encouraging agents and customers to have more confidence in visiting the destination.

“I cannot stress enough that you should do it,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience, and it has opened up a whole new world for me, not only in terms of sales but where I can send clients.”

Lisa Harrold, travel curator from Murray Travel, added: “It felt so vibrant and a completely different culture and community which I loved.

“I was so delighted to get to go over to that part of the world and experience it as it is something I never thought I’d get to do.”

She added: “It has definitely given me the confidence to be able to recommend Shanghai and Asia in general as a destination for clients.”

Find out more about Fortune Awaits 2.0 and enter!