P&O PRINCESS Cruises has poached
Highlife Breaks commercial director Giles Hawke to lead a major restructure of
its sales force.
Hawke,
who will join the cruiseline as head of sales at the end of the month, will
oversee the creation of a joint sales team promoting P&O Cruises, Princess
Cruises and Ocean Village.
The
field sales team will be given an overhaul with the appointment of new regional
account managers under P&O Princess field sales manager Craig Freeman. They
will develop sales from the trade in defined regions and liaise with specific
departments in the cruiseline to improve business.
P&O
Princess is appointing a sales and promotions executive in the Southampton head
office to boost promotions and incentives with the trade. Key accounts with
agents will also be better managed by bringing the business in-house from the
field sales team and enlarging the department.
The
business development team will look at additional sales through e-business and
interactive television.
P&O
Princess managing director David Dingle said: “The travel trade is crucial to
our business and this expansion reaffirms our commitment to supporting agents.”
The
sales restructure coincides with a series of agent training initiatives
involving the three brands. The other P&O Princess brand, Swan Hellenic,
will continue to have a separate sales team as its prepares to launch Minerva
II next July.
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P&O North Sea Ferries has put its Norsea vessel back into service after the
ship suffered its second fire in three weeks. Passengers making the Hull to
Zeebrugge crossing were ordered to put on lifejackets as the emergency took
hold, but there were no injuries.