Carnival Cruise Line to reveal plans for UK support ‘shortly’

Agent partners of Carnival Cruise Line “will hear shortly about the plan to support UK bookings” after many confirmed they had received no formal communication since the line announced plans to close its UK office.

US-based Carnival Corporation said last month it had decided to “sunset” the London office following “careful consideration of our strategic objectives for the market”.

The announcement on April 17 said the closure would be “effective from May 12” but details of future plans for the UK market were not provided.

Agencies this week said they had received no contact. As Travel Weekly went to press on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the line confirmed: “Agents will be hearing shortly about the plan to support UK bookings. We are just working through the final processes.”

More: Agents ’saddened’ by news of Carnival Cruise Line UK closure

Agents said agency agreements and existing bookings did not seem to be affected, with a number saying they hoped to receive calls this week with confirmation of the process for dealing with new or existing bookings.

One agent said: “We have had no formal communication at all, though all future marketing activity has been culled.

“We have plenty of forward bookings, which we’re not expecting to be affected, but it would be fair to say agents are in the dark as to future Carnival guests.”

Another agent said their company had almost 100 forward bookings with the line and would normally have regular updates and calls with their business development manager, but had not heard anything since the closure announcement was made.

Plans to increase Carnival Cruise Line sales through the agency had been cast into doubt by the move to shut the UK team, they added.

A third agent said bookings and contracts remained “as they were” but the retailer was “unsure” about day-to-day contact, adding that it expected future processes “were being ironed out”.

A fourth agent said: “We have not received any communication. We are hoping to have a call soon.

"Nothing seems to have changed for now, but we do need to understand what’s happening.”