On The Deck: Jo Rzymowska

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to be introducing some very special changes here at Cruise news. The first will be a number of additions to our team of industry contributors…

We already have the renowned CLIA director Andy Harmer delivering his weekly sermons, and now, as a way of bolstering his points, we will be adding to that ‘celebrity roster’. The first is a lady who needs no introduction: Jo Rzymowska. As associate vice president & general manager of Royal Caribbean, she is one of those most authoritative people working within the business today.

Having now taken up the chair of CLIA UK & Ireland there are few UK cruise professionals who have a more valid opinion.

However, that’s enough from us. It’s over to you Jo…

More off the beaten path itineraries, new ports of call in previously untouched destinations and an onboard activities offering that rivals any all-inclusive land resort. Needless to say, it’s an exciting time to be a cruiser with Royal Caribbean International and even more so with the recent announcements about two of our most anticipated seasons in recent years.

First, there was the news in late March that the world’s largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, would embark on its first ever European season and transatlantic sailing out of Southampton. An announcement that was met by thousands of holiday-hungry Brits pre-registering their interest to be first in the queue to make a booking for its debut in autumn 2014. The unprecedented demand was the highest ever volume of pre-booking registrations ever seen by the business and a clear affirmation for the ship’s incredible reputation as a game changer for the industry.

And just last week, Royal Caribbean International unveiled the inaugural season of itineraries for its next generation of cruise holidays – Quantum cruising – with new ship, Quantum of the Seas. With more innovative “firsts at sea” than ever before, including skydiving, bumper cars, roller skating, virtual balconies and more, both agents and customers alike will be hard-pressed to find another experience that delivers unprecedented “WOWs” like Quantum of the Seas.

In autumn 2014, the ground-breaking new ship will sail from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey to a host of the most popular Caribbean destinations and, to celebrate the news that itineraries are now available to the general public, Royal Caribbean International has created a full range of tools to enable agents to up their selling prowess with this fantastic new product.

Dedicated consumer brochures, trade selling guides with deck plans and a comprehensive toolkit featuring web banners, flyers and ad templates are just a few of the many materials that Royal Caribbean International has invested in to aid agent sales and encourage customers to book early with confidence. We’ve also produced some great videos to bring all of the new onboard experiences to life as well as a series of short clips demonstrating the ‘WOW’ areas of the ship.

Whether it’s sailing across the Atlantic or down to the Med on the world’s largest cruise ship from a UK port of call or island hopping in the Caribbean on the world’s newest ship, agents have never been more spoilt for choice as to what to offer potential customers. We’re confident that selling these fantastic itineraries will be smooth sailing for agents and know that holidaymakers will truly be blown away by all of the experiences and activities available with Royal Caribbean International.

For more information please visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk.