p22 cruise nov14 11/11/08 16:24 Page 22
Cruise
Lee Hayhurst
020 7921 8001
lhayhurst@ttglive.com
For the latest cruise news, visit ttglive.com/cruise
Royal Caribbean
P&O targets Azura
tours in a coach
ROYAL Caribbean Cruise Line is hitting the at its core market
road in a coach to prepare agents for its
withdrawal from viewdata early next year.
Lee Hayhurst.
as many children as Ventura during the school
A training coach from its Cruising for P&O CRUISES said its next superliner, Azura, holidays, but that the line would not be stress-
Excellence programme will visit towns where would signal a return to a more traditional style ing that in its marketing.
viewdata usage remains high. The tour kicked off of cruising for the UK market leader following He said P&O Cruises “would probably trim
in Glasgow last week. the launch of Ventura this year. at the edges” the family activities on Azura
In total 13 towns will be visited, including Speaking ahead of the first official unveiling of although, given its size, it will still feature
Kilmarnock, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Dunstable, details about the 3,000-passenger ship, Carnival substantial facilities for younger guests.
Milton Keynes, Huddersfield, Bristol, Southamp- UK chief executive David Dingle told TTG that Work has started on Azura, the keel having
ton, Peterborough, Basildon, Romford and Telford. Azura, to be launched in 2010, would be aimed been laid in the Fincantieri shipyard in Venice
The two-week tour will allow agents who visit more at the line’s traditional clientele. where it is being built, three weeks ago.
the “PC Coach” to enter a prize draw to win a Prior to the family-orientated Ventura, the Dingle said forecasts for 2009 might have
Royal Caribbean cruise in 2009. line had brought Artemis and Arcadia, two to be “trimmed” given the current economic
Agents will be trained how to use the line’s adult–only ships, into the fleet. Dingle said now downturn.
CruisMatch booking tool. Michelle Russell, train- was the right time for P&O to go back to its roots. But he added the early-booking trend in the
ing manager, said: “In some towns we’ll literally be “Arcadia and Artemis between them sent the UK meant the line had “got a reasonable amount
outside the agent’s door, so it is very convenient.” P&O Cruises image off in a more mature direc- under its belt by September”, when the global
To book a place, call 01932 834290. tion and we deliberately played on the family financial crisis worsened.
image ofVentura to redress that balance. Prices for the operator’s cruises in 2009
“The next ship will be positioned in the centre would drop by between 1% and 5%, which Dingle
Hurtigruten tie-up
of the P&O Cruises’ brand,” he said. said was “was not bad for a business that is
Dingle said he still expected Azura to attract continuing to grow”.
with Geographic
NORWEGIAN specialist cruise line Hurtigruten is
teaming up with the National Geographic Society
to create a geotourism programme.
The line, which has been operating for 115
years and is still used as a vital local transport
link between communities on its core route
between Bergen and Kirkenes, wants to develop
its sustainable tourism credentials.
Christian Bue Nordahl, global marketing
director for Hurtigruten, said: “We expect
National Geographic’s considerable experience
in promoting sustainable tourism best practices
globally to significantly assist Hurtigruten in
meeting the challenges we face in the future.
“The market is changing, with conservation of
local nature and culture becoming increasingly
important, and we must make our sustainability
programme a key part of our marketing and SNAPPY HALLOWEEN: Staff at Norwegian Cruise Line’s London office are known for their
communication strategy.” penchant for dressing up, so Halloween provided the perfect excuse. Pictured from left
The tie-up was officially announced on are: (front row) Rodney Duggan, Olina Zajickova, Joe Maynard, Claire Parker; (back row)
Monday at WTM in London. Elena Santangelo, Will Maloy and Lee Cromarty. Find out who won The Big Spook, p32
22 14.11.2008
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