| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 05/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 30 |
| Copyright: Other |
Investment
Crystal to raise UK budget by 50%
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
CRYSTAL Cruises is hoping to increase its UK budget by 50% in a bid to build up its passenger base in this country.President Joe Watters, who visited the UK a week ago, said: “As we look at introducing our third ship, the UK market is becoming more important to us. We will be putting more investment into the UK market as we increase our fleet.”
He said a new sales and marketing budget had not yet been finalised but it would go up by half again and possibly even more.
He refused to reveal specific figures.
“We feel there is more we could do in the UK,” he stressed.
Watters said Crystal’s third ship would be around the same size as its other two, which carry around 940 passengers apiece.
“It won’t be an all-balcony ship, although it will have a high percentage of balconies,” he said. “There are some people who don’t desire a balcony so we will give them a choice.”
Crystal is also looking to develop more alternative dining options and sports and spa facilities on the new ship.
Watters expects the price of luxury cruises to stay at around the same level, despite a growth in capacity as Crystal and rival operators launch a series of new vessels over the next few years.
“Our product sells well at current prices and we expect our prices going into 2001 will be maintained,” he said.
“The market will always price a product according to demand. There are times when a premium price is charged and times when value is added for the customers. But you can’t offer luxury cruises at mass-market prices without something giving at some point and we are not going to do that.”
Crystal: is increasing its UK budget in a bid to lift its profile in the UKmarket
Watters: said the budget was not yet finalised