During National Travel and Tourism week, Princess Cruises held “Connect with Princess: A Virtual Conference,” which shed light on the brand’s latest endeavors.
Hosted by John Chernesky, the line’s senior vice president of North America sales and trade marketing, the conference gave insight into what could be ahead as the cruise industry steams away from the pandemic.
“Keep calm and call a travel advisor,” was the recurring theme, per Chernesky’s branded T-shirt, as he interviewed members of the company’s executive team, including Jan Swartz, president of Princess.
“I think the future is so bright,” she said, while reflecting on what’s ahead for the advisor community. “We can’t do it without you guys. We so cherish our partnerships.”
In particular, she called agents great matchmakers, capable of pairing clients’ dreams with the cruise line’s unique experiences.
Also on the agenda was a progress update on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) granting permission to eventually sail again from the U.S.
Swartz said Princess is “very pleased to see the dialogue going well and increasing now with twice-a-week meetings” and that the line is “feeling optimistic that we can make this happen hopefully sometime this summer.”
Also interviewed and equally optimistic — although decidedly more so before the CDC issued its latest set of technical instructions — was Charles Sylvia, vice president of industry and trade relations for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
“The future is going to be better and brighter than we've ever known, and I mean that sincerely,” he said, assessing the outlook for agents. “It's a testament to the resilience and the strength of travel advisors and the fact that moving forward, they're going to be more relevant than ever before and experience a renaissance.”
Sylvia also shared actionable tips for agents as they continue to successfully sell cruises. High on his list is using clients’ preferred means of communication.
I've sold cruises on Snapchat; I’ve sold full cruises on Facebook. We can still develop effective, deep, successful relationships, profitable relationships in a digital age.
“I've sold cruises on Snapchat; I’ve sold full cruises on Facebook,” he said. “We can still develop effective, deep, successful relationships, profitable relationships in a digital age.”
Another bonus tip from Sylvia is for advisors to personally host clients onboard, sharing that this is where the ship’s keel meets the water, so to speak.
“There is no discount, there’s no gift card, there’s nothing that can compete with the human bond that we have with our clients,” he said. “And I'll tell you the best way that I know to start building that bond is by cruising with them.”
However, questions of what it will take to board and what the onboard experience will look like in the near future are still a lingering concern. Chernesky brought other Princess staff to discuss those very issues and expressed that everything is “evolving at a rapid pace,” and that ultimately, they will all be “communicating as we get more information.”
With that goal in mind, Dr. Brenda Barnetson, Princess’ director of clinical services, and herself a former onboard physician, admits that what the CDC has detailed are “very, very specific requirements” that must be parsed through.
Among the details to still be determined are whether vaccines will be mandated to embark, and exactly when and where face coverings will be required for guests. Both depend largely on different health authorities and the various destinations visited.
In any case, the conclusion from parent company Carnival Corporation’s 2021 Global Science Summit on COVID-19 was that inoculations are very important to overall recovery.
“I took a message away from that which was, I think, pretty powerful, and that was that we don't really have a way to get through this pandemic without vaccinations,” she said. “We can carry on with wearing masks and practicing social distancing for many years to come, but I don't think anybody really wants to do that. So, a way through the pandemic and the way to combat this pandemic is by having herd immunity within our communities.”
To that end, Lorna Warren, vice president of guest services, indicated that Princess is starting to bring the ships in to vaccinate all crew as fast as possible. Still, once guests finally arrive onboard, many in the industry are wondering what will become of such cruise staples as the self-serve buffet.
“Fundamentally, we're going to try to maintain the experience as much as we can, but in a safe environment so that there are no cross-touch points for our guests,” she said.
Just the other day, Princess revealed the new Dine My Way enhancements to its MedallionClass technology. The new program allows passengers the flexibility to remotely make restaurant reservations at times they prefer (and at specific table locations), as well as specify companions, meal pace and more, all while optimizing venue capacities.
Mario Siebaldi, senior vice president of product development and guest experience, shared that guests can expect the ship’s same health and safety standards to be applied on land (but again, it will depend on each country’s specific rules).
“We don't know yet if we will be able to allow guests to freely visit the communities that we visit,” he added, hoping that they will be able to, “particularly if the guests and the crew will be vaccinated.”
The line’s objective is to maintain as much of its signature guest experience and services as possible and, over time, “gradually return to a more normal state,” Siebaldi said. “Really, our goal is to return as the best-ever version of Princess that you've ever seen.”
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