Royal Caribbean International has unveiled its largest ever air programme for 2023 and a two-month mini-wave campaign, featuring £1 flights, stateroom upgrades and discounted drinks packages.
Stuart Byron (pictured), director of sales UK, Ireland and Spain, said the line’s air programme was aimed at boosting consumer and trade confidence.
Royal currently offers two weekly charter flights from either Glasgow or Belfast to Barcelona.
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However, next year it will expand the charter programme to at least three flights, including two from Glasgow to either Barcelona or Ravenna to support its European fly-cruise programme.
The full 2023 weekly flight charter programme would be confirmed soon, Byron added.
“We’ve secured charter flights so that we’re taking on that risk and providing as much of that end-to-end service as we can do to support both guests and trade,” he said.
“We have more air seats in 2023 than we’ve ever had before in terms of the scale of the allocations that we’re taking on when it comes to the committed air seats.
“We recognise that’s one of the most critical elements in terms of reassurance for trade and guests.”
Asked whether he foresaw flight scheduling issues and delays continuing through next summer, he said: “Right here, right now, it’s very much on guests and the trade’s minds in terms of the level of risk the trade take on, in terms of packaging up cruise bookings with air, but also from a guests’ perspective in terms of what you see here over this summer.
“How do you make it as pain-free and as a simple as possible? We felt the best way to do that was take on our biggest air commitment to support our Europe fly-cruise programme alongside the charter programme as well.”
Passengers travelling from Gatwick can secure flights from £1 when flying to Barcelona to join a Symphony of the Seas sailing, and an Odyssey of the Seas voyage in Civitavecchia next summer, as part of the line’s Plane and Simple campaign that runs during the line’s mini-wave season until October 31.
The line is also offering £150 savings on airfares from selected UK airports for European sailings on Explorer of the Seas; Rhapsody of the Seas; Symphony of the Seas; and Odyssey of the Seas, departing between April 16 and October 22, 2023.
Passengers who book an Oceanview cabin on any Anthem of the Seas sailing between May 12 and October 3, 2023, will be upgraded to a balcony cabin. All Anthem’s voyages between those dates depart from Southampton.
Byron confirmed Anthem had been the “best sold ship in the fleet” for a “significant proportion” of 2022 as the line brought its vessels back into service earlier this year.
“We’re already seeing really strong demand for Anthem for 2023,” he added. “UK demand has been spectacular and Anthem has had a really strong season as a result.”
During the campaign, customer deposits have been cut from £150 to £99 until the end of October and Deluxe Drinks packages are available from £43.
Byron said: “We’re just trying to tick all those boxes. We’re already seeing huge demand and we’re hoping this continues momentum and we really build further through September and October.”
He said this was the line’s first two-month campaign since before the pandemic.