THIS year has been arguably the biggest in Carnival Cruse Line’s (CCL) history, but that has not seen the brand move away from its goals, AVP Sales & Marketing Anton Loeb has told CW. CCL this year fully integrated into its fleet the two ships formerly operated by its sister...
THIS year has been arguably the biggest in Carnival Cruse Line’s (CCL) history, but that has not seen the brand move away from its goals, AVP Sales & Marketing Anton Loeb has told CW.
CCL this year fully integrated into its fleet the two ships formerly operated by its sister brand, P&O Cruises Australia.
This has only changed the scale CCL is working at, Loeb explained, not its approach to cruising.
“The role of what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to drive as a business doesn’t change,” he said.
“You get scaled, you get a bigger fleet, you’re still trying to do the basics you were doing, but you’re just doing it at a much higher rate,” Loeb added.
“You’ve got a lot more cabins [to sell], but at the same time, you’ve also now got the benefit of a bigger footprint,” he said.
While the sunsetting of P&O Australia has been a challenge for the business, Loeb said the addition of the now-defunct brand’s ships, and the unique personality they bring, is an opportunity for CCL.
“We’ve got variety – something that you could see as a challenge but has actually been a huge opportunity for us,” he said.
Broadly speaking, the fleet’s CCL-built ships, such as Carnival Splendor, offer a family-first environment, heavy on F&B inclusions and packed with action; while the former P&O-operated Carnival Adventure leans more toward pools, beach clubs, and a more adult-forward onboard environment.
The retention of each ship’s original character allows the CCL brand to appeal to a broad spectrum of cruisers.
While the response thus far has been “extremely positive”, Loeb said this means it is now more important than ever for travel advisors to steer their guests onto the right ship.
“We have to be make sure that our marketing is on point, our training is on point, our travel agent partners understand ‘what are the qualifying questions I need to ask?’,” he said.
CCL’s commitment to the Australian market – now four ships strong, three of which are year-round – means the cruise line brings more value to the country than ever before.
“I think that’s an important role, to be able to be here, to be valued, to give people the opportunity to get on a holiday, so you don’t have to go to the airport – you can leave from your home port,” he said. MS
Loeb is pictured with Vice President Corporate Affairs Sandy Olsen and Communications Director Lynne Scrivens.
