Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Icon of the Seas has “broken every record” since going on sale, according to the line’s international sales chief.
Bookings for the ship’s maiden programme featuring eastern and western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami opened on October 25.
Speaking to Travel Weekly on a trip to London, senior vice-president of international sales Bert Hernandez said: “Icon has got triple the highest number of bookings that we’ve ever had for a new ship. It’s been unbelievable – above all our expectations.”
Hernandez said the first sailing was already full, with one customer paying $94,000 for an Ultimate Family Suite on board. EMEA vice-president Ben Bouldin added: “It’s not just US guests. We’ve taken a booking in the UK for £77,000.”
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Hernandez said more than 40% of bookings were made by customers who are “bringing at least one child”.
“We’re getting a lot of interest from families, but 60% of bookings have been from couples,” he added.
Most are booking seven-night cruises but Bouldin said back-to-back 14-night sailings to the east and
west Caribbean were popular with Brits, who wanted to make the most of the airfare.
Hernandez hailed the trade for accounting for 50% of Icon bookings so far, with the other half sold direct.
Bouldin said more than 2,500 agents in the UK and Ireland had completed the operator’s webinar training about Icon last week.
One agent posted on Facebook about the ship at 4.30pm, and by 8pm had received 360 enquiries from customers wanting to know more about it, he added.
Hernandez noted: “It’s very difficult to sell a new class of ship so far in advance of it sailing and this time we’ve done the best we’ve ever done in developing assets that will help agents and their customers really understand the ship. “It shows people that Icon is like nothing they’ve ever seen and nothing else in the industry.”
Bouldin said: “Agents who have sold cruise before expected something amazing from us and we’ve delivered.
“But the biggest reaction has been from those people who haven’t sold cruise before – they see that it’s really pushing boundaries and the sense of excitement about Icon is incredible, which is fantastic.”