Andrew Bolton, who was promoted in early January to Acting Senior Major Account Manager – UK North & Ireland for Celebrity Cruises, described the prospects for the Irish market in 2014 as “very positive”, when interviewed in Dublin by Neil Steedman, ITTN’s News & Features Editor, along with Tryphavana Cross, who was appointed Major Account Manager – Ireland & Northern Ireland last December.
Following RCCL’s reorganisation into three separate teams for its three cruise brands, Andrew and Tryphavana now head up the Celebrity Cruises sales team for Ireland, reporting to Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, Director of Sales, with Jo Rzymowska as Manager Director – UK & Ireland, and Michael English as Head of Business Development.
Andrew told ITTN: “We see our main three markets as being honeymooners, affluent families, and premium cruisers. Our clients are mainly late 40s upwards, but we also have a good family market – all the facilities are there onboard, but our ships do not have so many family cabins, so agents should advise family clients to book early.
“The Celebrity fleet comprises 11 ships in four classes. Our newest and largest ships are those in the Solstice class, ranging from the 2,850-guest Eclipse, Equinox, and Solstice, to the 2,886-guest Silhouette and our newest and largest, the 3,046-guest Reflection. Our slightly smaller Celebrity Millennium class ships – the 2,158-guest Millennium and Summit, and the 2,170-guest Infinity and Constellation – have all been recenty refurbished and given Solstice-class enhancements. Finally, we have the 1,814-guest Celebrity Century and the 98-guest mega-yacht Celebrity Xpedition, which sails to the Galapagos Islands seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“This year the Celebrity Infinity programme includes four European itineraries that will all call into Dublin, three into Cobh, two into Belfast, and one – in June – will also call into Waterford.”
Trade Incentive Extended
Tryphavana told ITTN: “We will be inviting agents to join us on Infinity during several of these calls into port. I will also be ‘constantly’ touring around the country visiting agents and we will have some exciting trade incentives to follow on from our €30 Love2Shop voucher per booking – which we have now extended to 28th February 2014. Our 123Go! video is at: http://youtu.be/T11H8svinlI.
“Agents can contact me on my mobile, 086 772 2374, and the Irish number for our call centre in Weybridge is 1800 555 604.”
66 New Cruises Worldwide
There are no less than 66 new cruises in Celebrity’s 2014/15 Worldwide Cruises brochure – of which 18 will be in Europe, five in the Caribbean, five in Alaska, 10 Asia, six Australia and New Zealand, six South Pacific and Fiji, five Hawaii and Tahiti, three Canada and West Coast, two South America, and six new transatlantic cruises.
