Princess Cruises is ditching the Complete Cruise Solution (CCS) booking portal and investing in its own online tools after agent feedback highlighted a need for a simpler and tailored system.
The line began distancing itself from Carnival UK sister brands Cunard and P&O Cruises when it set up its own separate sales team two years ago.
At the Clia UK and Ireland Selling Cruise Conference this week the line was poised to announce the introduction of Princess-only online tools, including a new booking portal called OneSource, a new flight booking system and revamped training modules.
Alex White, the line’s head of sales, said the decision followed feedback from the trade that highlighted agents’ issues with the CCS system.
“Agents told us they wanted our online tools to be simple to understand and easy to use,” he said.
“We’ve created what is, in effect, a one-stop‑shop for our agent partners and we’re investing a lot with these new tools.
“OneSourcecruises.com is a system which is more relevant. It’s an evolution which has come about since setting up the dedicated sales team.
We’re doing all this because we understand how important it is that agents find us easy to do business with.”
During a transition period, both CCS and OneSource, which goes live this week, will work.
Princess will also introduce a flight booking service on OneSource in the next three months as it moves away from the current Flight Select service.
White promised the new system would be “simpler and more intuitive”.
The Princess Academy online course has also been cut down and made into “26 bite-sized modules”, with the addition of five sections.