Royal Caribbean has launched its 24th ship, Ovation of the Seas, with sell-out first sailings from the UK as part of a current “cruise epidemic going through the UK”.
According to Stuart Leven, UK and Ireland managing director, the sector is continuing to gain a strong foothold among first timers.
Speaking onboard the industry “shake-down” for Ovation, Leven told TTG: “We’re looking at more people than ever trying a cruise for the first time in the UK, and the industry is back in growth after a year of staying flat.”
The line’s newest 4,180-passenger Quantum-class ship arrived in Southampton last week, with more than 600 agents invited onboard for a stay on the $1 billion-ship.
“We went to our top 20 agents in the UK and said ‘why don’t you bring a lot of your team onboard’; Fred Olsen Travel had about 60 people for example,” Leven said.
“We also invited a lot of first timers generally. It’s a great opportunity for those who haven’t had a chance to see Quantum-class ships yet – or even Royal Caribbean at all. We’ve definitely seen some jaws dropping.”
Leven said Ovation’s three ex-UK itineraries this month had enabled the line to showcase the new vessel to this market.
“Short cruises are selling so well in the UK, irrespective of the ship, as they are great tasters,” said Leven.
“People will think twice about committing their two-week summer holiday to a cruise, as it’s so precious to them, so the shorter cruises mean people are more likely to hop on and try it for the first time, especially when you have the world’s newest and most impressive ships coming in.”
Leven added that the UK cruise market was in a positive state across many destinations and durations.
“We’ve seen great demand for the Caribbean and we’re having our strongest year ever in the Med,” he said. “I think the noise we’ve been making with the new ships has been getting people to sit up and take notice.
“We’re also getting better at brand positioning, especially with [our strapline] Where Extraordinary Happens. Plus I think we have the finest customer service levels among any mass market holiday operator.”
Royal is also gearing up for the launch of Harmony of the Seas next month, which will be its third Oasis-class ship. It will launch another Oasis-class vessel in 2018, and two more Quantum ships in 2019 and 2020.
The line’s president, Michael Bayley, hinted that these vessels were also likely to be showcased to the UK. “I’m sure we will be bringing even more of those into the UK market,” he said.
