Royal Caribbean experienced a record week of local sales in Australia and the cruise giant has reiterated the possibility that it may increase the amount of its cruise ships in the area.
Royal Caribbean executive vice president of global sales and marketing, Lisa Bauer, told media in Sydney yesterday that the Australian cruise market has experience a higher level of growth potential and the company is looking to with through infrastructure challenges so it can expand its cruise operations.
"We see this market in two ways. One is developing cruising for the local market, the ability to home port here and to introduce people to cruising. Secondly, once they understand cruising, to travel to the rest of the world on our ships."
Bauer commented that Australia compliments the Asian cruise market and is a"great market in itself."
"We have not announced anything, but we would like to have the opportunity to bring additional ships here. The market has a lot more potential," Bauer said.
Bauer mentioned that the biggest obstacle for cruise growth in Australia today is that cruising "is for the nearly dead, over fed and newly wed".
"Our challenge for cruising in general is trying to break down those barriers," she said, adding that the average age for its Royal Caribbean ships is fourty-two.
"We partner exceptionally well with the travel agent community to try and get the message out that cruising is not the same with every brand," she continued. "We work hard with agents about matching the right customer with the right brand. That is very important."
