REGENT Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) will be offering a lot for the trade to capitalise on, Senior VP International & Consumer Sales Steve Odell has told CW, as the line prepares to turn its focus to its 2026-2028 program.
Odell said RSSC expects to close out its sales for this year in the next couple of months, with Australia leading the charge internationally for the cruise line as its third-largest market.
“Despite all the hurdles and barriers, the geopolitical issues, the dollar, we remain strong here,” he said.
“Lisa has been selling well into ’26, ’27, we’ve got a long booking curve here, we’ve got the highest international daily rates, so it’s been a good start to the year.”
The cruise line will also be opening up sales on its 2028 World Cruise in the coming months, as well as its new ship Seven Seas Prestige (CW 22 Oct), allowing savvy travel advisors to bank cash further out.
“Once you get out of wave, you’ve got to get a bit more creative on what’s left for the year, so we’re running up promotion for 2025 on the remaining voyages.”
“There’s a big opportunity out there at the moment…not all agents grasp this concept of getting the further-out business, but the smart ones who do really build such a solid base ahead of time,” Odell explained.
“It gets hard when you’re into the year, because then the price gets a little bit softer, and the return isn’t so great, but we can’t afford to sail with an empty bed.”
Odell said the Mediterranean remains the most sought-after destination for Australians; however, colder destinations are proving popular too.
“We’ve done quite well in Northern Europe as well with these Iceland, Greenland, Norwegian fjords.
“We could put more capacity in Japan, the Aussies can’t get enough of it.”
RSSC’s itineraries in South America – particularly with Antarctic visits – are also turning Australians’ heads, while close-to-home is proving popular with brand loyalists who may wish to avoid a long-haul flight. MS