New boss faces same old challenge

I met with the new UK boss of Royal Caribbean, Dominic Paul, last week. Dominic comes from the airline industry and had never been on a cruise until 2 weeks ago, when he tried Royal Caribbean out for the first time. He was pleasantly surprised with the experience and admitted to me that he had never really contemplated taking a cruise before. It's interesting that despite the PSA's (Passenger Shipping Association) PR efforts and the marketing crusade led by Royal Caribbean to try to change people's perceptions about what a cruise is all about, many people still see cruising as traditional and something they would only contemplate when they are retired. Having been on a Royal med cruise in August last summer, I know that the customer profile on such cruises is hugely diverse, with as many as 3 generational families on board. Royal Caribbean have led the way with their product innovations, but there is still a long way to go to change the public's general perceptions of cruising, and I'm not sure that Royal Caribbean on their own can do this. In my opinion the cruise industry's body, the PSA, is not equipped to do this either, both in terms of resources and general outlook. However if cruise lines want to grow the total market, they are going to have to do something to change general perceptions.

Soft market conditions

Yesterday TUI announced a drop in it's margins across a generally weaker summer holiday market. Today it was the turn of the other travel giant Thomas Cook to report softer trading conditions in the UK. Customers are booking later and looking for keener prices. It's not hugely different in the cruise sector right now, although there has always been a trend towards booking further in advance with cruise. We are currently experiencing a mix of business with late summer deals but also healthy demand for 2011. The common theme is customers looking for even more value for their hard earned money, and that's where our focus is right now - hunting out those extra special deals to satisfy the appetites of our bargain hunting customers.

The Bank of England has just published it's latest economic forecasts and has downgraded it's growth figures for this year. This coincides with the latest consumer confidence index dropping from 66 in May to 56 last month. There's no doubt that the Government's austerity measures are spooking many people. However with the cuts and general fiscal tightening to come, it appears even more likely that interest rates will remain at rock bottom for the rest of the year, which to many people is the single biggest determinant on their disposable incomes. Good news for home owners with mortgages, but not so good for savers. Either way, it's a great time if you are looking for a cruise deal - there's plenty out there.

MSC Feedback

Here at www.idealcruising.co.uk we have just surveyed all our customers who sailed on MSC this summer. We wanted to know what UK customers thought of the Italian cruise line, as some customers had expressed concerns about the on board experience. Overall the results showed that customers perceived their cruise holiday as being good value for money, but there were some interesting comments. The MSC ships were generally well received, especially the new ships which have been operating in the Med this summer. The less positive feedback was regards to the on board announcements being in many different languages and Italian being the lead language - well it is an ITALIAN cruise line after all! The lack of complimentary tea and coffee, plus on board entertainment was another area of disappointment, where trying to appeal to a multi-lingual audience can be challenging. Otherwise the itineraries were well received and most customers felt they had received good value for money. Some people actually like being surrounded by guests from different countries and cultures, whereas others like things to be very British. Personally when I'm on holiday and I see a sign for Fish and Chips or John Smiths bitter I run a mile.

Pre-Paid Gratuities

A hot topic of debate in the office this week is over pre-paid gratuities. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises are on a mission to get cruise agents to get a higher percentage of customers to pay their tips upfront. The reason being that apparently the Brits are not as generous as tipping as the Americans, and Royal Caribbean's on board staff are disgruntled at their loss of income. I think part of the issue is that Americans are more regular cruisers and know that you have to tip at certain amounts (Royal Caribbean actually recommend $9.95 per person per day), whereas the Brits are not quite so au-fait with the protocol. Some of our customers are happy to pre-pay - they know it's done and don't have to budget for it as part of their holidays; others however take offence to the thought of tipping before they've received the service. You do get flexible dining times by pre-paying gratuities which is an added benefit. The debate continues though.

Unique New York stay with Bermunda cruise

Travelling this September, 11 nights including 3 free nights and NYC and upgrade from Outside to Balancy on the wonderful Holland America. I'm thinking of going on this one, it's so good. My cousin lived in Bermuda a few years back, it's only a tiny island, but lots of sunshine and very laid back. Lots of insurance companies base there now, but don't let that put you off!
www.idealcruising.co.uk/cruise-special-offers-820.html

Havana's a must go

For anyone looking for a unique experience on a cruise, I'd strongly recommend an itinerary that includes Havana, capital of Cuba, not just the biggest island in the Caribbean but by far the most interesting. In Havana you can witness life in one of the few remaining Communist countries in the world. You can also see the previous Spanish colonial influence with the stunning yet crumbling architecture. There's just no money available to restore the buildings, but almost that's what give Havana's old town it's unique look and feel. The images you see of Havana with 1950's American cars driving around is actually very real, yet there is something surreal about the whole place. The legendary Fidal Castro has now handed over the running of the country to his "younger" brother, who will be 80 next year! Change will be coming to Cuba when a new generation takes over, so I'd recommend you go see it before it changes. If you dislike loud Amercians then Cuba' s the place for you as they don't let them in (even the quiet ones!). Subsequently it is only non-US cruiselines that can call in to Havana, so it's Fred Olsen, Thomson and specialist Voyages of Discovery.

Culinary Arts

Watching the World Cup Final on Sunday night reminded me of my night on board MS Niew Amsterdam when we watched Holland's semi-final win over Uruguay in of all places the Culinary Arts Center which is a fabulous facility on Deck 2. The place was packed with Dutch draped in their bright Oranje. You couldn't help form an affection and bond with the Dutch that night, as we celebrated Van Bronckhorst's 30 yard screamer. Only the thing is that I've fallen out of love with the Dutch after their displays of thuggery in the final. How ironic that the game be displayed on a large screen in a room entitled the Culinary Arts Center, 'cos there was nothing artistic about the Dutch on Sunday night! The master chefs on board demonstrate their culinary techniques in this room, but I think that butchery would be a more apt analogy to the Dutch performance in the final. But whilst I've fallen out of love with Holland's team, I certainly haven't with Holland America