Carnival Corporation Cruise Brands Ramp Up Ad Spending

Posted on 24 December, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corporation is ramping up advertising spending across its portfolio of brands, according to President and CEO Josh Weinstein, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call.

He said it was a move to support future demand.

“I’ve actively been working with each brand on their strategies and road maps,” Weinstein said. “As a result, I’ve authorized our brands to take a significant step up in advertising activities, including a nearly 20 per cent increase in our investment this past quarter over 2019, to elevate awareness and consideration and to drive demand for both the near and the longer term. This should be particularly impactful with those new-to-cruise, where we draw about one-third of our guests, as we position to take share from land-based alternatives.”

For example, Weinstein said that Princess Cruises would source more heavily in North America than in prior years due to source market disruptions elsewhere.

And the results have been good, Weinstein noted, with record Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales results at a number of brands.

“We think that advertising has a good amount to do with that, to really reach first-timers, generate awareness, generate consideration, and do so in a meaningful way. We’ve got great brands, and we’ve got tremendous brands, but we need to do a better job getting the voice out. And this is a good way to do it. And it helps not just us, it helps our trade partners, it helps the bookings across the board.”

Royal Caribbean Aiming for Return to Normality, Strong 2023

Posted on 7 November, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Jason Liberty, President and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, shared some insight on the company’s deployment and sourcing plans for the upcoming year.

Speaking on Thursday’s third-quarter earnings call, he revealed hopes for a return to normality in 2023, focusing on a strong U.S. market.

“While we are still early in our planning cycle, 2023 is shaping up to be a strong year for the company and in the return to normal, typical business,” Liberty said.

“Our overall capacity will grow 14 per cent compared to 2019 on account of ten new ships which have joined or will join the fleet across our brands during this period,” he added, noting that the growth will be achieved despite previous ship disposals.

Liberty also said that deployment across markets is “relatively unchanged” compared to 2019 with the Caribbean representing just over half of the overall deployment and Europe with almost 20 per cent.

“Asia is in the low single digits, with no planned deployment in the high-yielding China market,” he said.

About 18 per cent of the U.S. population is within driving distance to a U.S. homeport, Liberty added, with the “Short Caribbean” product upsized by 35 per cent compared to 2019.

Perfect Day at CocoCay has also been an important part of the deployment, with 65 per cent of the guests sailing on Royal Caribbean International’s Caribbean itineraries in 2023 set to visit the private destination in the Bahamas. The number of calls is up 30 per cent from 2019, he said.

“We expect almost 80 per cent of 2023 guest sourcing to come from North America as we continue to see particularly strong demand from that customer,” Liberty said.

Royal Caribbean’s multi-brand strategy also allows for efficient guest sourcing around the world, he added.

“Our global brands’ appeal and nimble source model allows us to attract the highest yielding guest and partially mitigate the impact from a strong dollar.”

MSC Cruises revealed the name of its second World-class ship

Posted on 25 October, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruise has revealed the name of its second World Class ship
MSC World America.

MSC World America is slated to enter service in 2025, where it will begin a series of sailings in North America, making it the fourth new flagship to be deployed in the continent.

The announcement comes just weeks before the launch of World Europa, which will be one of the world’s “largest liquefied natural gas-powered cruise ships” and one of the first to incorporate fuel cell technology.

The vessel – which was delivered to the line by shipbuilders Chantiers de l’Atlantique on Monday (24 October) – has also been designed with an “innovative” hull shape to minimise resistance through the water.

World Europa incorporates a range of equipment to optimise energy use throughout the ship, including smart ventilation and advanced air conditioning systems and LED lighting, controlled by smart management systems to further enhance the energy-saving profile.

The vessel features a Y-shaped aft structure that leads to a 104-metre-long half-open half-covered Europa Promenade with ocean views. New balcony cabins overlook the promenade, which features an architectural centrepiece in the form of The Venom Drop – an 11-deck-high slide.

MSC World Europa’s firsts include a micro-brewery, gin bar, healthy juice bar, coffee emporium and tea house. The ship has 13 different dining options including two new speciality restaurants; La Pescaderia, which will offer fresh seafood; and Chef’s Garden Kitchen, which will dish up seasonal farm-to-ocean cooking.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the cruise division of MSC Group, said: “We are proud to welcome MSC World Europa to our fleet, our 20th ship and the first to be LNG-powered. This groundbreaking vessel represents the next phase in our journey toward net zero and sustainable cruising and a symbol of our unwavering commitment to both.”