Royal Caribbean International says it is attracting higher-paying customers and more families for sailings on Anthem of the Seas following the launch of a high-profile marketing campaign.
The line is sponsoring prime time ITV show The Masked Singer and is running its ‘One Family. One Holiday’ ad campaign on numerous channels during wave.
Royal’s associate vice president and UK & Ireland managing director Ben Bouldin said Anthem, which will be based in Southampton this summer, is “yielding incredibly well”.
It was set to be joined by Independence of the Seas, but the line decided to move the Freedom-class ship to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to meet demand from the US.
More: Royal Caribbean unveils raft of changes to trade sales team
Video: Royal Caribbean to feature in Channel 4 documentary
“We are quite happy with the start that we’ve had,” Bouldin said. “The Masked Singer has driven a lot of traffic. We hope that there are not any big hurdles to come regarding Brexit which are going to destabilise momentum.”
The show, which airs every Saturday night, features celebrities dressed in costumes competing in a singing competition. Royal branding appears in short sequences throughout the show.
The Masked Singer has so far pulled in viewing figures between 5.5 million and 6 million.
Bouldin said the line chose to sponsor the programme because viewers are not watching on their own and “co-viewing” as a family.
Although The Masked Singer only started this month, Bouldin said he has already seen an impact on sales and the demographic of Royal passengers.
“I genuinely think we are getting the right guest type,” he added. “We’re getting people who are willing to spend a bit more and families too.
“It is interesting when you go from two ships to one but what is happening is Anthem is now yielding incredibly well. We are absolutely getting different passengers because we have one ship which is better hardware.”
Bouldin said deploying two ships in Southampton “could happen”, but added he was not in any rush.
“It is about getting the right guest and then the volume,” he said.
“We are trying to get (agents) the right guests, who repeat, enjoy it and take their kids. We do not want to be selling our cruises for £499.”
Bouldin added: “We know that a good chunk of our guest demographic will be on P&O Cruises and Princess next year. I want that family market. Anthem is such a great ship.”