Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group’s sales chief has tipped considerable growth for relaunched cruise line Crystal in the UK market following its acquisition.
Speaking on the shakedown cruise for Crystal Serenity, which has been refurbished by AKTG alongside sister ship Crystal Symphony, Marett Taylor said she believes the purchase will create a “seamless experience” for agents which will in turn lead to an increase in sales.
“The UK market has huge growth potential; it’s one of the markets with the most discerning travellers who will see that what we offer is different to any other cruise line now there’s the A&K link,” said Taylor.
“And agents will play a critical role in helping us do that, as while we may know cruising and the destinations, they know how to find the right clients who fit the Crystal brand and how to sell it to them.”
More: Crystal Cruises to launch four new ships by end of 2029
Taylor said the combination of Crystal’s ships and A&K’s 55 global DMCs will create an “unbeatable” product that will attract new customers.
Designed to connect the luxury travel group’s markets and brands by establishing new global roles connecting both A&K and Crystal across the world, Taylor’s promotion to the newly created role of chief sales officer was part of the ‘One A&K’ strategy.
Her appointment followed that of chief marketing officer Peter Chipchase, whose aim is partly to “make the booking and selling process easier and more enticing” for both consumers and agents, said Taylor.
The group has also seen a number of high-profile departures, including chief tour operating officer Kerry Golds and sales and business development director James Coughlan.
But Taylor said their exits were “merely coincidental” rather than forced, adding they gave the company a chance to review its global strategy.
“When they decided to leave it gave us a chance to take stock globally and figure out the strategy we wanted to take forward,” she said.
Taylor is currently recruiting for a senior vice-president of trade sales for the UK and EMEA and also plans to bolster Crystal’s UK sales team.
She said certain categories on Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, set to launch in September, such as entry-level solo offerings and Crystal Serenity’s 2024 world cruise, are selling well but there are “areas we’d like to grow”.
“We will see the true measure of sales now that we’re in the water,” she added. “A lot of people look at proof of concept – and we’ve seen that for ourselves on board this week. I don’t think I’ve had service like this anywhere.”
Crystal has two ships in its fleet – Serenity and Symphony – but that number will grow to six by the end of 2029, with AKTG revealing plans to build two new oceangoing ships and two new expedition ships.