The UK boss of Scenic has pledged to build closer ties with the trade after admitting the line had been “a little passive” with agents in the past.
Colin Downing, Scenic’s UK general manager, said the luxury line needed to be more proactive when building relationships with the UK travel trade.
“Education, education and education – having previously been a little passive in the past, we now want to be active and leading members of Clia.
“We listen and are very open to new ways of working and improving how we support the trade.”
Downing was speaking after Scenic announced it is to build a second “discovery yacht”.
The 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse II will launch in May 2020 when it embarks on its maiden voyage from Athens to Lisbon.
The vessel will have a similar design to its sister ship, Scenic Eclipse, set to launch on August 31 this year.
Speaking exclusively to Travel Weekly, Downing said Scenic had created a new category in the luxury market.
“We have developed a genuinely new category in the market – luxury six-star expedition cruising,” he said.
“‘Six star’ isn’t new, neither is expedition or discovery cruising, however today nobody else does both.”
Russia’s White Sea, the Northwest Passage, Southern Greenland and Alaska to Russia across the Bering Sea, will all feature in Scenic Eclipse II’s itineraries, according to the cruise line.
Onboard there will be 114 all-veranda suites, nine restaurants, eight lounges and bars, a spa sanctuary, a marina deck, helicopters and a submarine.
Both discovery yacht class ships will have high crew-to-guest ratios which “reflects the uncompromising delivery standards required for the luxury six star market”, according to Downing.
Downing said he was “very pleased” with Danny Joel who joined Scenic’s trade team as a sales manager for the south last month.
“His experience and knowledge is first class,” Downing said.