The fact not one but two major cruise line bosses flew in from the US to address the largest-ever Clia UK and Ireland conference says a lot about the buoyant state of the UK cruise sector right now.
It was particularly apt that while Celebrity Cruises president Laura Hodges Bethge addressed the 850 delegates at Southampton’s Guildhall, just a few hundred yards away, one of the line’s Edge-series ships was welcoming passengers onboard ahead of its four-day Bruges cruise.
While the future certainly seems bright for cruise lines and agents alike, industry leaders made several pertinent points on sustainability, pricing, brand partnerships and politics the trade must consider when selling a cruise holiday this year. Here’s what you need to know.
The ’elephant in the room’
Addressing agent delegates, Emmy-award winning TV host and biologist Jeff Corwin, who is also a Princess Cruises nature and adventure ambassador, argued sustainability has now become a “priority” for people and “a big selling point” for agents.
He urged agents to communicate what cruise lines are doing to meet industry-wide sustainability targets and to ensure customers board ships with “a sense of confidence”.
“We know sustainability is seen as an elephant in the room – and sometimes people complain about the cruise industry – so we need to open up a conversation around it which is currently not being had,” Corwin said.
Corwin also highlighted the progress cruise lines were currently making in areas such as shore power, reducing food waste and alternative fuels. “People can come on board our ships and hear from leaders on sustainable practices and see the technology for themselves,” he added.
’Stable’ cruise fares
Rob Scott, P&O Cruises’ vice-president brand, marketing and sales and deputy chair of Clia UK and Ireland’s executive committee, said cruise fares were remaining “stable” while package holiday prices were rising despite the “remarkable momentum” seen across every cruise segment.
“It’s more critical than ever to share the value for money in cruise, especially when we see the prices in the package holiday market increasing,” he said.
Scott also hailed agents in the room and the wider trade community, saying: “Make no mistake, your passion and support will drive our industry forward. Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm. Together, we will continue to bring the magic of cruising to market more than ever before.”
Virgin Voyages appeal
Virgin Voyages is one of the newer lines in the market today. The line’s first ship, Scarlet Lady, entered service in August 2021 before it launched Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady soon after.
Asked if the adults-only line had achieved its aim of bringing new-to-cruise passengers into the sector, Virgin Voyages chief executive Nirmal Saverimuttu said: “I think we have appealed to a new audience. We had a lot of capacity come online very quickly while we were educating the market on who we were.
“Now we have done that, booking rates are through the roof. We’ve earned that trust and people have confidence in us a brand. Quarter to quarter demand is increasing. The [brand] misconceptions are going away now.”
