The boss of Royal Caribbean International says the three-storey suite debuting on the incoming Icon of the Seas ship is already 55% sold for 2024.
Speaking during a quarterly financial results call on Tuesday (February 7), president and chief executive Michael Bayley said the 7,600-passenger vessel, which is slated to launch in January 2024, was the “best-selling product” in the line’s history.
The average selling price for the Ultimate Family Townhouse (pictured), which can sleep up to eight people, was $75,000 per week, Bayley confirmed.
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The suite has been upgraded from the Ultimate Family Suite which is available on Symphony of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.
Bayley said: “[Icon] has been absolutely outstanding in terms of the demand and the pricing that we’re generating. It’s really driving a great 2024 and we never talk about 2024 at the beginning of 2023.”
He added that “a big driver” of the strong booking volumes the line was seeing was Icon of the Seas.
“There are remarkable stats coming out of Icon,” he added. “It’s only one category of room but the Ultimate Family Townhouse that we sell on Icon which is a three-storey experience for families is already 55% sold for 2024 at an average price of $75,000 a week.
“You can get a feel of the excitement generated by these products. This is the first time Royal Caribbean has had a new class of ship in nine years and we’re delighted with the performance so far.”
Jason Liberty, president of Royal’s parent company Royal Caribbean Group, forecasted the cruising giant which operates three brands, including Royal Caribbean International, would grow by around 10% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 6% in 2025.
“We believe at Royal Caribbean that the addressable [cruise] market is under penetrated,” he explained. “We work very hard to create mobile brands that attract guests from all over the world to harvest that quality demand.”