Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International (RCI)

West Coast agents are being handed an unprecedented opportunity next year with four- to seven-night cruises from Los Angeles and San Diego, in addition to four Panama Canal sailings on Serenade of the Seas.

What new ships are you putting into the market?

Mariner of the Seas debuts year-round on the West Coast in February and is far and away the largest vessel in the region’s year-round market at 3,114 passengers. It isn’t only the size; it’s the revolutionary amenities onboard that a ship of this size can offer: an onboard ice-skating rink; full-size basketball court; inline skating track; our iconic rock-climbing wall; the adults-only solarium; and the Royal Promenade, a village street of shops, cafes and bars with a festive parade that has become one of the most highly regarded ship experiences. Mariner will sail seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera, calling in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

What demographic are you targeting?

The product will please every age group. RCI owns the family market. There is something for everyone and plenty for families. We’ve broken our award-winning Adventure Ocean program for younger cruisers into five different age groups and the whole fleet has co-branded programs, too.

And which ship will offer the shorter cruises?

Radiance of the Seas will be the newest ship in the short cruise market on the West Coast, with a four-and-a-half or five-night pattern starting in fall 2009. It’s a very consistent product and great for meetings and incentives, where the emphasis is on shorter cruises. The shorter cruises call in Cabo; the five-day itineraries call in Cabo and Ensenada.

We all know that money is tight with fuel prices so high; will agents be able to get co-op support for these West Coast cruises?

We are offering more co-op dollars for 2009 than 2008. I recently met with the whole salesforce. We have a really great team on the West Coast and we have lots of money to spend with our partners here.