MSC sets out plans to triple UK passengers

Posted on 14 July, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises has set out ambitious plans to grow the number of UK passengers it serves.

According to chief executive Giles Hawke, the company reckons it can attract 200,000 Britons per year by 2017 – up from 60,000 today and an almost threefold increase.

Mr Hawke made these comments in an interview with Travel Weekly, mentioning a raft of new marketing initiatives intended to support the campaign.

MSC, which mostly serves the Mediterranean cruise market and recently announced it will add a further four ships to its fleet, also plans to charter three flights per week from Heathrow to ferry Britons into Italian ports.

Two of the planes will fly to Genoa, with the other landing in Venice.

In time, though, MSC wants to reintroduce Mediterranean cruises that actually depart from the UK itself, potentially by launching a Fantasia-class ship in 2016.

MSC pays 5% commission on prepaid cruise activities

Posted on 28 May, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

MSC Cruises said it will pay 5% commission on cruise activities that cost extra, if they are prepaid and booked through a travel agent.

The line said commissionable activities include spa treatments, specialty restaurants, beverage packages and celebration packages. MSC said they are in addition to the current commissionable shore excursions, hotel packages, transfers and air. Details are at msccruiseagent.com.

Few if any other cruise lines pay commission on such items.

MSC also said it will pay 25% commission on balcony cabins on MSC Divina later this year on sailings between Aug. 2 and Dec. 20. The travel must be booked May 27 through July 31 and apply to categories B1, B2 and B3.

Also, starting June 2, agents can earn tour conductor credits for selling a certain number of FIT bookings. The credits are typically earned when booking groups, but MSC said agents to not need to block group inventory.

One tour conductor credit will be awarded for every 20 full-fare guests on the same sail date, for bookings made up to 75 days prior to departure.

Sheehan: NCL pricing has softened

Posted on 19 February, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Kevin Sheehan told Wall Street analysts on Tuesday that pricing has softened some since the late fourth quarter, when it was selling 2014 inventory at double-digit increases from the year before.

At the time, Sheehan said load factors were higher for the second, third and fourth quarters and lower for the first quarter, when Norwegian has 72% of its capacity in the Caribbean.

Sheehan said he had hoped to continue pricing unchanged.

“Unfortunately, that didn’t play out. As that period progressed, we needed to adjust our pricing somewhat to get to the finish line,” he said.

In a conference call, one analyst wondered when Norwegian’s newest ships, the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, would be recognized as so good as to be above the competitive scrum of promotional competition.

“We are obviously waiting for that moment in time,” Sheehan said.

He said that keeping ships in Europe rather than bringing them back to the U.S. has proven to be the correct strategy for 2014.

“We’re feeling a little bit better about the Wave season as we get through each week,” Sheehan said.