Royal Caribbean to axe 55 non-sales job roles

Posted on 30 January, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

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Anthem of the Seas is cruising from Southampton Summer 2020

Royal Caribbean International is to axe 55 non-sales jobs at its UK and Ireland office in Surrey.

Jobs in departments such as revenue management and direct business will move from Weybridge to the company’s Miami HQ.

The move is part of a wider restructure which will see Royal Caribbean Cruises brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara operate independently from April 1.

Ben Bouldin, who has been promoted to vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the shake-up would not affect the company’s sales team in the UK, where 300 people are employed.

He said: “This has been driven by three key things: a desire to have a real trade-focused business model, enable centralisation of non-sales functions and enable the brand to go single branded worldwide.

“The business is going to be split into two. We are going to have a managed part of the business and a non-managed part.

All of the 55 job roles will be phased out over the next eight months, however, some staff have already left.

Meanwhile, the French, German and Italian markets will be managed by third-party teams in each nation, while Gianni Rotondo, associate vice president, non-managed markets, will oversee them.

Bouldin said: “We had a situation where we had put a lot of people in these markets and it has not worked.

“We are essentially a kick-ass sales machine across the EMEA. There are a lot of good people in the jobs market, but I am delighted that we’ve kept a lot of good people too.”

The announcement follows a raft of changes to the trade sales team which were unveiled earlier this month.

Torey Kings-Hodkin, who was Thomas Cook’s former head of commercial partnerships, has taken over from Donna Carley as the line’s head of key accounts.

Bouldin added that restructure demonstrated how the line remains “most committed to the trade”.

He will report into Sean Treacy who has been promoted to senior vice president of international, moving from the role of vice president of Latin America and international strategy.

Treacy will be responsible for the cruise line’s business across the Asia Pacific region, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

First Guests Arrive at MSC’s New Ocean Cay

Posted on 6 December, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Ocean Cay Opens (AP Images for MSC Cruises)

MSC Cruises today welcomed the very first guests to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, its new private island destination in The Bahamas, according to a press release.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, said: “Ocean Cay is founded on a deep commitment to ecological principles – beliefs that shape everything from how venues are built, to how the island is run, to the kinds of activities featured on the island. Having the first guests arrive on the island is a moment of great pride for all of us at MSC Cruises. We wanted to create for our guests something sustainable, with a higher purpose. Ocean Cay is not just a vacation island, it is a unique marine reserve where people and nature thrive in harmony.”

The island’s opening is a major milestone for MSC as it builds its North American operation, which has four ships sailing from Miami this winter.

MSC has turned the island from what was once an industrial sand excavation site into a stunning tropical destination, while working with environmental engineers and other experts to revitalize the surrounding ocean beds, marine life and endangered coral, according to a company press release.

The project took nearly three years to complete. 7,500 tons of scrap metal was removed and, throughout the clean-up process, a team of expert divers and marine biologists carefully removed individual hard coral colonies from debris on the ocean bed and relocated them to an approved location outside the construction area. More than 75,000 plants and shrubs planted across the island to create a biodiverse and sustainable environment.

In the coming months, MSC Cruises will also introduce a Conservation Center on the island, which will serve as an active base for coral education and research.

Norwegian Cruise Line christens last Breakaway-Plus ship

Posted on 25 November, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway-Plus class ship Norwegian Encore has been christened in Miami.

American singer, and godmother of the 3,998-passenger ship, Kelly Clarkson performed a set in front of 3,500 guests in PortMiami.

The ceremony featured performances from the cast of Choir of Man and Kinky Boots, two productions guests can watch onboard Encore.

<> on November 21, 2019 in Miami, Florida.

Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said: “Norwegian Cruise Line has been sailing from Miami for over 50 years. We were the first to offer weekly cruises to the Caribbean.

“Five years ago, we launched our history-making Breakaway-Plus class and today we are proud to christen Norwegian Encore, the final ship of this class and a true representation of the evolution of the brand, right here in our hometown of Miami.”