CI asserts market position
CRUISES International
has issued a
notification to the travel
trade on July 2, warning them
not to book Royal Caribbean
cruises through “unaffiliated”
channels. But agents have
raised their concerns that
this limits their options.
“It has come to our
attention recently that a
local operator has been
trying to persuade the local
market that they can book
cruises on Royal Caribbean
International and its affiliate
brands by bypassing
Cruises International and
using a third party located
overseas,” the statement
reads. “This activity is
prohibited and Royal
Caribbean International is
in the process of taking
steps against the relevant
parties to put an end to this
practice.”
“We are concerned that
if anything happens to
bookings through this [third
party] channel, travel agents
and their clients will be at
risk,” George Argyropoulos,
Cruises International
md, told TNW.
TNW asked Royal
Caribbean if and what steps
were being taken against
“the parties”, but all the
company would say was:
“Cruises International is
RCI Cruises’ only contracted
partner in South Africa
selling Royal Caribbean
International, Celebrity
Cruises and Azamara Club
Cruises. Travel partners
wishing to sell our products
in South Africa should
work directly with Cruises
International.”
Agents reached out to
TNW, expressing their
concern that this took away
the consultant’s choice
of dealing with another
operator with whom they
have a relationship and may
receive a better service.
“We would prefer not to
deal with a company owned
by a competitor,” adds one
agency head, who would
prefer to remain anonymous.
Cruises International
was acquired by BidTravel
last year.
Cruises International’s
agreement with Development
Promotions has come to an
end, however the company
still has agreements in
place with other operators,
including Thompsons
Holidays and Travel Vision.
“Royal Caribbean sales
went through the roof,
mostly due to Development
Promotions’ good marketing
to agents,” says the agency
head.
One agent told TNW that
the service offered by
Cruises International was
not on the same level as
Development Promotions. “I
can phone DP at 21h00 and
they will pick up the phone
and help me,” he said.
“That’s the service I need.
I don’t just want someone
to fire off a quote when I
am asking for information.
I want them to help me sell
the product.”
Another issue is that
cruise lines try to force
agents to deal with a GSA.
“In this online world, you can
go on to overseas cruise
sites and see the same
cruise heavily discounted. If
you, as an agent, try to book
it, you are threatened by the
cruise operator that your
clients may be penalised
because you did not book
through the official GSA,”
says one agent.
However, Lee Habib-Allah,
senior consultant at Cruise
Corner Sandown, describes
the service at Cruises
International as wonderful,
and adds that Cruises’
‘better price’ policy to beat
rates clients find online
really sets them apart.
Jackie Adami, md of
Development Promotions,
told TNW the company
had employed a trade-first
strategy since 1972. “Our
focus over four decades has
not changed. We remain
committed to delivering the
best service and product
to our South African travel
industry partners to ensure
their success and deliver
peace of mind that their
business is in the hands
of a company that has a
proven track record.”
