Royal Caribbean International’s global sales chief believes an Icon-class vessel will soon be based in Southampton for an entire summer season.
Bert Hernandez, who replaced Sean Treacy as senior vice-president of international sales earlier this year, said “at some point” there would “be an Icon-class ship in the UK”, adding: “The demand is there for a full season.”
The line confirmed it has two Icon ships on order – including Icon of the Seas – plus an option for a third.
Royal previously committed to launching the 7,600-passenger Icon of the Seas vessel in Southampton but due to changes to its construction schedule the line said it would probably sail to the US from Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku next year.
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Speaking at a media event in Miami, Hernandez (pictured) said: “We’re looking at ways that travel agents can experience Icon of the Seas. We’ll do shakedown cruises.”
Royal Caribbean president Michael Bayley predicted up to 30,000 travel agents from across the globe could experience Icon before its maiden voyage in late January 2024.
Bayley said “multiple” fam trip sailings were being planned which “thousands” of UK agents could join.
“It’s a big ship so we could bring 20,000 to 30,000 agents on board before we start the first revenue voyage,” he said.
However, he did not entirely rule out the ship calling into the UK prior its launch. “If we can bring it into Southampton, we will,” Bayley added. “We made that commitment before, but times and schedules have changed.
“We’re still finalising the details of everything. If we can’t bring the ship into Southampton, we’ll bring the travel agents to Miami on a whole bunch of fam trips.”
Bayley also said Royal was used to dealing with economic headwinds currently facing the UK market. Asked if the UK could slip below Royal’s other source markets outside the US, he said: “Don’t worry that’s not going to happen.”
But he warned the “challenge” facing the line’s European team, was getting “Europeans to come to America because the price goes up” as the pound weakens against the dollar.
Hernandez confirmed Royal still planned to expand its private island portfolio as the world emerged from the pandemic.
“We’ve got a couple of other destinations that we’ve already announced that were put on hold during Covid,” he said.
Royal was looking at “year-round” destinations in Europe, Hernandez said. “I was just in Cyprus last week,” he added. “We’re discussing that potentially.”
During the pandemic the line was forced to put Perfect Day plans on hold. It is widely known Royal is planning to build a Perfect Day destination in Lelepa, Vanuatu, and a beach club in Nassau.
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