Royal Caribbean International has appointed Ben Bouldin in the newly created role of Director of Sales for the UK and Ireland. He will lead an 18-strong sales team dedicated to the brand.
The addition of the new role, and an expanded sales and marketing team purely working on Royal Caribbean International, follows a decision in late 2013 by parent company RCL Cruises Ltd to evolve its UK and Ireland business structure in response to significant business growth.
Ben brings with him 15 years of sales experience, having held a number of senior roles at PepsiCo International. He joins the new Royal Caribbean International senior leadership team headed up by Managing Director, Stuart Leven, who joined the business in October 2013. Ben will work alongside Jo Briody who has been appointed Director of Marketing and PR for the brand and supported by Head of Sales, Steve Williams, both existing members of the Royal Caribbean International team.
Stuart Leven said: “With a new brand structure in place and the recent announcements confirming Anthem of the Seas’ deployment to the UK in 2015, Ben joins the Royal Caribbean business at an exciting time. I look forward to working alongside him and am confident that with his exceptional experience working with high profile international brands he will be able to build on the team’s industry leading track record within the cruise sector.”
Previously, team members have been tri-branded but as of 1st January 2014 there are now three dedicated businesses each working solely on the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, or Azamara Club Cruises brands.
The world’s largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, will offer cruises in Europe for the first time in autumn 2014, when it will make its first ever port of call into Southampton on 15th October 2014.
Royal B.R.I.T.S. Awards
Royal Caribbean International is currently in the midst of its turn of year campaign which has seen it launch its very own Royal B.R.I.T.S. Awards for agents to win one of 10 places at the 2014 BRIT Awards.
To be in with a chance to win one of the 10 places, agents simply to need to get a colleague to post a photo of them and 150 words on why they deserve to win their chosen category at the cruise line’s dedicated Facebook page for agents, www.facebook.com/royalcaribbeantravelagents
Agents can also increase their chance of winning by booking and confirming a 2014 cruise that is part of the turn of year campaign before 12th February to be entered into a prize draw and earn shopping vouchers for every booking made.
Outstanding appointment for RCI. Ben is a guy who knows how to get the job done and deliver results while also keeping a great team spirit.