CRUISELINES are stepping up their presence on the Internet but insist that it will not affect levels of bookings made through the travel trade.
Royal Caribbean International senior vice president Gary Bruton said: “Although I believe the Internet will become a major selling tool, clients will still want to use agents because only with them will they be offered a range of products.”
In the UK, the cruiseline’s Internet site can currently only be accessed by agents. However, in the US, this facility will be expanded to enable the public to make their own bookings by the end of this year.
Carnival Cruise Line will also have an Internet booking site for consumers by the end of the year.
Princess Cruises is less enthusiastic about its booking potential. Princess president Peter Ratcliffe said: “We see the Internet more as an information provider and don’t expect to see many bookings coming through it.”
Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Mediterranean Shipping Cruises are developing information-only sites specifically for the UK market and expect them to be up and running within a couple of months.
The Passenger Shipping Association’s retail agents’ scheme, PSARA, is offering agents training on getting the most from the Internet.