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Steiner, Celebrity won’t renew spa contract in 2014

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By Rebecca Tobin

Spa operator Steiner Leisure said this week that its agreement to operate the spas onboard Celebrity Cruises ships would not be renewed.

In a statement, the company said it had been advised by Celebrity that the line would not renew the agreement, which expires Dec. 31.

“The company is negotiating a transition plan as to the turnover of the ships to the new vendor,” Steiner said.

In the statement, Steiner CEO Leonard Fluxman said the company was “disappointed with Celebrity’s decision, particularly in view of our revenues being at historical highs on Celebrity’s ships. We believe that the terms we proposed for renewal contained compelling economics, and it also contained a unique brand at sea. It is our understanding that Celebrity’s decision was made purely from a marketing perspective.”

“Steiner has been an excellent partner over the years,” Celebrity said in an email. “We thank them for helping us deliver high quality spa experiences to our valued guests.”

It said it would make an announcement about its new spa and wellness partner “in the near future.”

Celebrity in recent years has expanded its spa offerings; for example, its AquaClass category, which debuted on the Solstice, enables passengers in AquaClass cabins to enjoy spa- and wellness-related perks and exclusive access to a restaurant featuring “clean cuisine.”

Steiner has long been the largest spa operator at sea. In its statement, the company said its cruise line operations are conducted on spas on 155 ships. It currently services Celebrity sister brands Azamara Club Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. In June it announced a deal with Royal Caribbean to extend its agreement through 2017. Its land-based customers include Hilton, Marriott, St. Regis and W Hotels.

A handful of cruise ships and lines have contracted with other spa operators, such as Canyon Ranch, which operates the spas onboard Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 and the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises ships.

Special Report: Flying start for new UK Royal Caribbean boss

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By Hollie-Rae Merrick 

Special Report: Flying start for new UK Royal Caribbean bossRoyal Caribbean International’s new managing director, UK and Ireland, Stuart Leven tells Hollie-Rae Merrick about his first eight weeks in  role

Stuart Leven admits he had not realised the significance of the peak booking period for the cruise sector until he started his job eight weeks ago.

As the turn-of-year booking rush looms, the new UK and Ireland managing director of Royal Caribbean International says he’s also been surprised by how strong trade relations are in the sector.

Leven has moved fast in his first two months, acquainting himself with the workings of the company, visiting the line’s new call centre in Guatemala, flying to Miami to meet the rest of the team and spending time with travel agents up and down the UK.

He has even managed to squeeze in a ship visit – his first cruise experience.

And he has worked with the team on the announcement that Anthem of the Seas would call Southampton home – something he is particularly excited about.

Leven has also brought in a 20-strong sales team, is recruiting for a head of finance and has appointed a head of PR, who will join in the new year.

He believes it all adds up to an important new era for Royal Caribbean International, as it prepares for its first full year as a standalone brand in the UK with its own dedicated team, as well as with new ships on the horizon.

Over the past few weeks Leven has spent a lot of time in agencies around the UK. It is, he says, “a vital part of my role and it isn’t something I will stop doing”.

“Having worked in other areas of the leisure industry, I had not understood how strong the relationship was between Royal Caribbean and the travel trade.

“This is a very exciting and innovative company that is bringing its newest and most innovative ship, Anthem of the Seas, to the UK. That shows tremendous commitment and belief in the market.”

Leven credits the industry’s “unbelievably passionate” cruise experts for its growth.

“There are agents out there who see selling cruises as a part of their job, whether they work as a cruise expert in a multiple or an independent,” he says.

“But there are a lot of agents who we still need to reach. We need to go further to educate them, first about cruises in general, then to turn their attention to Royal Caribbean.”

Speaking about agents’ response to the Anthem announcement, Leven says: “The theme of Anthem has really caught people’s imaginations. I think it shows great commitment to the UK that it will be based in Southampton and agents appreciate that commitment.”

He believes attracting new-to-cruise passengers is vital for the entire industry, not just Royal Caribbean, and says educating agents is the first step to attracting newcomers.

Yet as well as regarding new-to‑cruise holidaymakers as a “massive opportunity” and a “big challenge”, Leven is also still keen to show avid cruisers who haven’t experienced Royal Caribbean what they are missing.

Call centre staff in Guatemala undergo training

Staff at Royal Caribbean International’s new Guatemala call centre have undergone a three-stage training process.

Stuart Leven said that while he expected a “few bumps in the road”, he was confident the centre would offer exceptional standards.

“I have set up six call centres in my career and there are always teething problems, but you work through any issues,” he said. “I’m very positive about the whole thing – this is a really good call centre.”

The centre has been taking calls from agents for the past two weeks. Prior to that the staff were put through technical training to learn the systems, before undertaking training in culture and knowledge.

The cruise line sent Legend of the Seas to Guatemala so the call centre staff could experience it first-hand.

“It’s important the people working in our call centre are passionate about the product,” said Leven.

Royal Caribbean International retained five members of staff from the previous UK-based call team to support the Guatemala office with promotions and product information.

Independence set for Southampton finale

Independence of the Seas is selling well for 2014 – its final year sailing from Southampton – after a “successful six years”.

Leven said: “One thing that definitely has resonated with me is the fact that we don’t just have Royal Caribbean fans – we have fans of the individual ships themselves. The fact that next year is Independence’s last year out of Southampton has caused a lot of feeling and we are seeing a lot of support for the ship.”

Independence of the Seas will next year operate 15 sailings out of Southampton, with the last one departing on November 1.

In the mood for a melody? Hit the piano bar

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In the mood for a melody? Hit the piano bar

By Tom Stieghorst
*InsightBilly Joel made headlines recently with the news that he’s going to play a monthly concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden for the foreseeable future. Joel’s gig starts Jan. 27. The first four shows are sold out, and prices for a May concert range from $64.50 to $124.50.

The development got me thinking about all the great piano entertainers I’ve seen on cruise ships this year. To my surprise, the piano bar has become a must-visit venue as I check out a ship’s entertainment.

There’s a tendency to reduce cruise entertainment to the main theater offering, because that’s where the cruise lines put on their biggest show and spend the most money.

Last week Royal Caribbean International announced it would license the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!” featuring the music of ’70s pop group ABBA, which will undoubtedly be popular. But there are a number of secondary venues at sea, and they can be overlooked, especially on bigger ships. The piano bar is one of them.*TomStieghorst

On ships this year, I’ve been thoroughly entertained by solo piano acts in Crooners, on the Royal Princess, in the Piano Bar on the Oosterdam and in Piano Bar 88 on the Carnival Sunshine.

These entertainers were every bit the equal of top players in Las Vegas or London, and in some cases they are one and the same. I’ve also seen a few performers that lacked the energy, the audience rapport or the spontaneity of the best acts, at least on the night I saw them.

One of the things that makes a piano bar such fun is the intimacy of the room and the chance to get to know some of your fellow passengers, with music providing the introductions. On a seven-night cruise with a good piano bar, once word gets out it can be tough to find a seat.

James Barr, a piano entertainer from New York I caught on a recent sailing on the Vision of the Seas, said the audience makes or breaks a piano bar, and the No. 1 job for a good piano entertainer is to cultivate interaction from the audience.

“The more you talk to them, the more they have the nerve to get involved,” Barr said.

London-born, Barr is a self-taught musician who has been playing piano since he was 7. Now 37, he has been playing on ships for 12 years and on Royal Caribbean for nearly a decade.

He honors plenty of requests for “Piano Man” but also likes to mix it up. “Playing things people wouldn’t necessarily expect, like Jay-Z, adds to the energy,” he said.

Many people, I suppose myself included, stereotype piano bars as a lounge for washed-up showbiz types. Agents should prod their clients, especially younger ones, to rethink that assumption. On at least some of the ships I’ve been on, there’s no better place to be entertained.