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Carnival UK again allows some agents to hold customers’ funds

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 December 2013 13 December 2013

Carnival UK, which operates the brands of Carnival Corp & plc in the UK, is no longer insisting that all agents’ customers make direct payments to the cruise line, Travel Weekly reports.

The company demanded direct payments after the collapse of Gill’s Cruise Centre in 2011 to prevent agents holding on to customers’ money, but is now relaxing its stance for some agents.

However, the operator said the controversial practice remains a key part of its strategy to de-risk its business. Commenting on a raft of changes ushered in by a new management team, new Carnival UK sales director Chris Truscott told Travel Weekly: “Consumers paying direct is one way of realising risk-free trading. We will work with agents to achieve that but we are not forcing anyone down a particular route.”

Truscott said last week’s move to increase base commission to 7.5% would help reduce risk because agents should be more profitable and less likely to fail.

One change the new Carnival regime has ruled out reversing is going back on sale via Amadeus. The global distribution system’s new Cruise Shop platform, designed to make selling cruise easier for agents, has been well received in the trade since launch in September. But Truscott said it was “not part of my current thinking” for agents. “We currently transact 97% online,” he was quoted as saying

Telegraph Cruise Show in London 10 to 12 January

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 December 2013 12 December 2013

The annual Telegraph Cruise show will take place in the ExCel Centre in London from 10 to 12 January 2014.

An estimated 50,000 travel enthusiasts will be able to attend talks hosted by TV travel personality Judith Chalmers, novelist and recent cruise convert Anthony Horowitz and BBC One’s Human Planet producer Dale Templar, alongside other celebrities, at the inaugural Telegraph Cruise Show in January, the organisers said in a statement.

Aimed at seasoned cruisers and first-timers alike, the show will feature over 30 leading adventure, family and ocean cruise lines as well as a dedicated river cruise pavilion. The show will offer advice on all types of cruise-holiday experiences, from river, themed and luxury cruising to resort-style ships accommodating more than 3,000 passengers. Representatives from expedition and adventure cruise companies will also be on hand to answer questions from visitors and provide practical information. The Telegraph Cruise Show will also be joined by the cruise industry official body, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), who will be on hand to offer impartial advice and cruise holiday planning recommendations for first-time cruisers.

Visitors can attend talks and Q&A sessions with a stellar line-up of destination experts, authorities on cruising and celebrity speakers. Experts in attendance at the show will include award-winning writer and founding editor of ITV’s ‘Wish You Were Here...?’ Peter Hughes, Latin America specialist Chris Moss, author and BBC Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe, as well as other travel specialists and Telegraph Travel journalists. The Reverend Colin Still, who appeared in BBC2’s fly-on-the-wall series ‘The Cruise: A Life at Sea’ will also make an appearance. Topics covered at the show will include everything from ‘how to choose the best cruise holiday for your family’ to ‘the must-visit destinations for 2014’.

The entertainment, food and wine stages at the event will enable visitors to sample the cruise experience by watching live shows, chef-hosted cooking demonstrations and taking part in wine tasting master-classes. A family zone featuring examples of some of the industry’s innovative on-board activities will help keep children entertained whilst a stylish champagne bar will also offer visitors the chance to unwind after a busy day.

Charles Starmer-Smith, Head of Travel, Telegraph Media Group, said: “Cruise is the travel industry’s fastest growing sector and its popularity shows no sign of abating. The new Telegraph Cruise Show aims to dispel some of the myths surrounding cruising from tipping to dress codes, as well as helping guests find their ideal holiday. Experts that only Telegraph Travel can deliver will also provide practical consumer advice alongside top entertainment. We’re proud to bring together the largest selection of cruise holidays in one place and build on our track record of delivering exceptional consumer shows.”

The Telegraph Cruise Show will run alongside the London Boat Show which is held at the same venue. Telegraph Cruise Show tickets are also valid for London Boat Show admission.

Costa launches Costa Adventures to cater for children

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 December 2013 12 December 2013

Costa Crociere, the Italian unit in Carnival Corp & plc group, says it will offer its young guests a new range of entertainment options as part of its exciting Costa Adventures programme. "Thanks to a partnership with Spin Master Italy, the latest innovation on-board the well-known cruise liner confirms Costa Cruises’ reputation as the ideal option for an unforgettable family holiday," the company said in a statement.

Making its debut from December 2013, Costa Adventures offers a host of activities for children of all ages to enjoy including the family board game favourites Beat the Parents and Fibber!, as well as the popular children’s toy Aquadoodle. In addition, young cruisers can perform daring aerobatic stunts with Air Hogs AtmoSphere, guide the Flutterbye Flying Fairy throughout the ship or go on undercover operations with the Spy Gear Covert Mission Kit.

"Though the new initiative will initially be available to guests on a week-long Western Mediterranean cruise aboard Costa Pacifica and an 11-day cruise to Greece, Turkey and Israel or Morocco and Portugal on-board Costa Serena, the partnership forms part of a larger collaboration between Costa Cruises and the toy industry giant which will see the Costa Adventures programme roll out to 12 Costa ships," the company concluded.

Thomson Cruises to add 76 balconies on three of its five ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 December 2013 12 December 2013

Thomson Cruises, which is prt of the London based travel group TUI Travel plc, has announced that three ships in its fleet; Thomson Celebration, part of the Platinum collection, as well as Thomson Spirit and Thomson Majesty will have a total of 76 private balconies added onto selected cabins, available to book for sailings from November 2014.

"The private balconies will be on selected cabin types giving a wide range of customers the chance to experience fantastic views from the comfort of their own private space. Thomson Dream, which in November 2014 will have a new homeport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has already got six private balconies available for customers to book. Thomson Celebration which will also be in the Caribbean, sailing from Barbados from November, will have 26 balconies added; Thomson Majesty will be fitted with 28 and Thomson Spirit will have 19 added,"the company said in a statement.

Thomson Cruises operates five ships on the UK market,m the fifth being the 40,132 gross ton Island Escape that was built in 1982. Thomson Celebration started life as Noordam in 1984, while Thomson Spirit that was built a year earlier, first entered service as Nieuw Amsterdam. Both ships are of 33,930 gross tons. Thomson Majesty that is of 40,876 gross tons was built as Royal Majesty in 1992, while Thomson Dream that measures 54,763 gross tons and started life as Homeric of Home Lines in 1986.

Customer Operations Director for Thomson Cruises, Fraser Ellacott, said: “The addition of private balconies really takes our offering up a notch, giving customers an even better experience on board our ships. We know that customers want the best of both worlds when it comes to relaxing in their own private cabins as well as getting involved with on-board life in public areas of the ship. A private outside space is really important to many and the investment we are putting into our fleet is clear from this enhancement.”

UK agents "blatantly undercutting one another," Viking River Cruises reported saying

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 December 2013 11 December 2013

Viking River Cruises, the rapidly expanding privately owned company, has changed its commercial agreements for 2014 in an attempt to stop agents from “blatantly undercutting one another," Travel Weekly reports in a daily newsletter.

The line, which pays a base commission of 10%, is looking to stop agents advertising discounts on its products. A Viking spokesman was reported as saying: “We are asking agents not to promote openly the discounts they might offer, to help create a level playing field for all agents.”

Neil Barclay, head of sales at Viking, admitted that while he would prefer agents not to give away their commission, he could not stamp out discounting completely. He told Travel Weekly: “We can’t stop them discounting, but we have a one‑price policy so customers get the same price whether they book through an agent or direct. This is helping agents by creating a level playing field. A lot of agents are blatantly undercutting each other in newspapers and online. It devalues the product.”

Barclay wouldn’t be drawn on how Viking would respond to agents that breached the new commercial terms. He said agents who wanted to promote discounts to closed-user groups rather than to the general public would be supported by Viking. But observers said such groups could still be quite large.

Agents broadly welcomed the move. Phil Nuttall, managing director of Rivercruising.co.uk, said: “I support this decision 100%. This is an issue that has damaged the ocean cruise industry. Some agents are paying to advertise online that they are discounting – if that is your method for getting customers then you need to change your career.”

Chas Simmons, director of CruiseXperts, said the policy was “great in theory” but would never work. “How many lines have tried this? It doesn’t work and it can’t be policed,” he said.

Ocean cruise lines have incentivised agents not to discount. However, lawyers say pricing rules may breach competition laws. Farina Azam, a solicitor for Travlaw, said operators cannot prohibit agents from offering discounts and cannot favour agents who do not discount, the report said.