CRYSTAL Cruises is planning to launch its 2001 brochure in April in a bid to exploit the early-booking market.
Joanne Phillips, head of sales and marketing at Crystal’s UK general sales agency, The Cruise Portfolio, said:”We are in a position to offer our itineraries early and we want to capture the early market. People are actively looking for 2001 holidays and we want to be out there getting the bookings in.”
Crystal’s brochure is usually published in June, and this will be the earliest it has ever been out in the market.
The cruiseline’s itineraries for 2001 include its first ever Amazon River voyages in January and February; a circumnavigation of Africa; cruises to the northeast coast of Canada for the first time in three years; and a 104-day world cruise.
Phillips claims Crystal achieved a 26% rise in UK sales last year but she refused to give exact details.
The company currently has two 50,000-ton ships, Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, each of which can carry 940 passengers. It is rumoured to be planning to build a third, larger ship, but details have not yet been released.
Meanwhile, The Cruise Portfolio has announced a restructuring following the purchase of its parent company Mundy Cruising by Edwina Lonsdale.
Lonsdale, who used to run the GSA, has become managing director of Mundy Cruising, and Phillips has been promoted into her old job.
Phillips’ old field sales role has been taken by new recruit Helen Peters. Former reservations manager Catherine Burr has been given the newly created post of product manager. And cruise consultant Steve Bond has been promoted to reservations manager.