Nassau Cruise Port Welcomes Icon of the Seas with Performance

Posted on 5 February, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) welcomed the Icon of The Seas on its inaugural call to Nassau on Thursday, January 18, according to a press release.

Passengers onboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship were greeted with a Junkanoo performance by the Music Makers Junkanoo Group.

A special inaugural ceremony took place aboard the ship, attended by Mike Maura Jr., CEO and director at NCP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation Chester Cooper, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International Michael Bayley and local dignitaries and industry executives. Maura celebrated the strength of the partnership between Royal Caribbean and Nassau Cruise Port and their commitment to strengthening the Bahamian economy further.

“Icon of the Seas is truly in a class of its own, and the Royal Caribbean team should be immensely proud of the result of this incredible seven-year endeavor,” said Maura.

“We appreciate the confidence that Royal Caribbean continues to show in Nassau Cruise Port and in The Bahamas to deliver a superior tourism product, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Royal Caribbean team in ensuring that its guests enjoy fun, memorable experiences in Nassau.”

Deputy Prime Minister Cooper added: “This is magnificent for the Bahamas. It is a great day for Royal Caribbean but a magnificent day for Nassau Cruise Port and The Bahamas. [We are] on the verge of greatness for 2024. The numbers are expected to be significant coming from RCCL but also from the entire industry. We are looking forward to another banner year.”

The Icon of the Seas is currently sailing its maiden voyage which departed from Miami on Jan. 27.

Royal Caribbean: Mobile Devices Driving Onboard Spending

Posted on 4 February, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Serenade of the Seas leaving the Port of Vancouver photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr Account.

More and more guests are prebooking onboard experiences and spending money on their mobile devices on Royal Caribbean Group ships, said Jason Liberty, president and CEO.

“The outsized increase in our onboard revenue over the past couple of years has been fueled by new capabilities introduced to make it easier for guests to pre book onboard experiences. We will continue to enhance those capabilities in 2024,” said Liberty.

Approximately 70 percent of guests book at least one activity pre-cruise, he said.

“About a third of onboard purchases are now coming through the mobile app and we already have about 40 percent more pre-cruise revenue booked in 2024 as compared to 2023,” he continued.

“As a reminder, customers who purchase onboard experiences before their cruise, spend about two and a half times more than those who do not buy pre-cruise.”

Carnival: Wave Season Sales Exceeding Expectations

Posted on 31 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Pride arriving in Liverpool UK, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr Account.

Carnival Corporation announced that it has experienced an early and robust start to wave season (peak booking period), exceeding expectations, with bookings volumes since November hitting an all-time high.

According to a statement, for 2024, the company continues to have the best booked position on record, with both pricing (in constant currency) and occupancy considerably higher than 2023 levels.

The company said the first half of 2024 is almost fully booked and it said it believes its continued strong bookings momentum is expected to deliver outperformance during the year, offsetting the Red Sea rerouting impact.