Royal Caribbean International is restructuring and expanding its sales team to ensure it does not “fall short on the level of service” it provides to the trade.
Ben Bouldin, sales director for the UK and Ireland, said the team in its current structure was not “set up to win” and would not be able to meet its 2015 growth targets without being changed.
As part of the restructure, Royal is creating four positions, increasing its trade sales team to 23.
Four of the team’s key account manager positions will be replaced by six regional sales managers (RSMs), who will focus on independent agencies such as Dawson & Sanderson.
There will also be five national account managers, who will focus on cruise specialists and will report to head of sales Steve Williams, plus three strategic account managers. Royal is recruiting for two of the RSMs and a head of retail to manage that team.
Bouldin said: “We have to be set up to win and we weren’t set up to succeed.
“I don’t think we let people down but we were in danger as time went on of starting to fall short on the level of service we should be providing.
“We are upsizing our sales force. Our regional sales managers will be responsible for their own geographic area; they will have their own marketing funds and will have autonomy about how they work.”
In the past, a national account manager at Royal could have worked with up to 70 accounts, but now a “more focused approach” will reduce that number to between five and 10.
Bouldin said the line remained committed to all agents, but added that there would also be a greater focus on Royal Caribbean’s top 25 partners within the new structure.