It's been 11 years since Royal Caribbean had a ship based on America's west coast. On a short sailing celebrating the arrival of Navigator of the Seas to its new homeport in Los Angeles, SVP Sales Vicki Freed says if things go as hoped, the 4,000-passenger ship won't be alone for long.
TravelPulse Canada and hundreds of travel advisors were on hand for the return of Royal Caribbean to southern California. Speaking at a Q&A session, Freed joked that one question she will no longer be asked is 'When are you bringing a ship back to the west coast?'
"We're counting on you to make this ship a success, so we can bring more," Freed said.
It was an appreciative crowd of travel professionals, grateful for the efforts of Royal Caribbean to support the retail channel during the most difficult period in the history of the travel industry, with cruising especially hard hit.
Royal Caribbean, while piling up billions of dollars in debt during the pandemic shutdown, has provided more than $40 million in interest-free loans to help keep travel agencies afloat.
The company has also worked hard to maintain contact with its travel partners, with Freed's weekly Coffee Talk webinars (now nearing 80) and Chairman Richard Fain's regular video presentations designed to inform and boost the spirits of advisors.
"We're moving forward now, and from the comments and energy we're seeing from you, you're feeling it too," said Freed.
The popular executive said Royal's commitment to travel agents will continue as the industry returns to strength.
"There will be a few speedbumps along the way, but we will continue to be your partner, and hopefully your best partner," Freed said.
One way the line has been demonstrating partnership is by offering Instant Booking Bonuses of up to US$210, helping advisors with cash flow until final payment when the balance of commission is paid. That initiative has been extended for bookings made through November 30.
Royal Caribbean's commitment to Canadian agents includes a very important element at present: the line will provide and cover the cost of the PCR tests that Canadian travellers require to return home. These tests can cost up to US$200 at some resorts and destinations, which is a creating a major disincentive for Canadians to take a sunny winter vacation.
The line also said that it is working with a vendor to make rapid self-administered PCR tests available to Canadians, promising an announcement soon.
On another topical issue, Freed said Royal Caribbean will give travel advisors adequate lead-time if (or more likely when) it decides to make vaccinations mandatory for 5-12-year-olds. Disney Cruise Line was the first to announce that requirement this week, beginning on January 13, 2022.
That wasn't good news for Canadian family cruisers, as vaccinations for the 5-12 age group were only approved this week in Canada, leaving doubt as to whether families with bookings from January 13 onward would be able to comply.
Freed says that despite the health protocols that require masks to be worn indoors, the line is receiving its highest-ever guest satisfaction scores.
"That shows that the experience isn't horrible and in fact works out to be a good guest experience. Cruisers are just so happy to be back on board."
While Royal Caribbean has confirmed mask protocols through the first quarter of 2022, Freed and other executives say that following that date, "some of those masking requirements are going to fall away," as all crew and the vast majority of passengers will be fully vaccinated. They also suggested that people should "assume moving forward that if you're going to cruise as an adult you're going to need to be vaccinated."
Prior to the pandemic, Royal Caribbean officials said a year where 20,000 Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) were awarded - due to hurricanes or other events - was a tough one. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 2 million FCCs have been assigned, with about 700,000 redeemed to date.
Agents at the Q&A session said call centre wait times are still quite long, but Freed argued that the company is doing the best it can. "We currently have 2,700 reservationists and will be at 2,900 by December. We've already hired 1,100 new reservationists."
The executive says part of the urgency to add staff is to deal with the backlog of FCCs, but also to prepare for the typically busy selling season early in the new year.
"We think we're not just going to have a Wave Season in 2022. We think it's going to be a tidal wave," Freed said.
Stay Tuned: More TravelPulse Canada coverage of the amplified Navigator of the Seas and the experiences onboard will come out next week.
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