Celebrity Cruises reports 40% wave bookings spike

Celebrity Cruises has reported booking levels are currently 40% up week on week versus 2019 as the line’s “biggest-ever” turn-of-year campaign takes effect.

Speaking ahead of the brand’s Agent Appreciation Awards in central London on Thursday, Jo Rzywmowska, EMEA vice-president and managing director, said the booking “trajectory” was “great – day in, day out”.

She added: “I like to under estimate and over succeed and all the indications are strong. We’ve had two years when that has not been the case.

“We’re now back to how it used to feel. There’s an excitement and a buzz about wave.”

Celebrity launched its biggest turn-of-year campaign on Boxing Day, with the line’s advert airing on terrestrial TV, on-demand platforms and showing on out-of-home billboards in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London.

UK and Ireland sales director Claire Stirrup noted how Celebrity Silhouette was “doing really well” in terms of bookings.

The 2,886-passenger ship will homeport in Southampton for the last time this summer before being replaced by Edge-series ship Celebrity Apex next year.

“People are taking advantage of her sailing out of Southampton for the final time,” Stirrup said.

She noted how Galapagos and multi-generational bookings were also strong

Asked whether customers were becoming more confident about booking fly-cruises, Rzymowska said: “There seems to be greater stability now. Of course, we’re not in the summer season yet, but there appears to be more confidence.”

The line has again based all three Edge-series vessels in Europe this summer and has encouraged fly-cruise bookings by including a £99 flights offer in its wave campaign that finishes at the end of February.

Rzymowska said it remains to be seen whether the travel sector had overcome last summer’s aviation issues. “The proof will be in the pudding but there seems to be great stability. People want to go on holiday and see the sun so to do that they will have often have to go on a plane.”

Looking ahead to the rest of 2023, she said: “It’s early days. We never know what is around the corner but we feel that 2023 is going to be a good year.”

Asked if Celebrity was considering its wave offers into March, Rzymowska said: “We’ll look to see what the messaging is at the time.

“The offer will not be the same from a strength point of view. This current offer will be the strongest offer.”

Rzymowska has entered her final six months with the Celebrity brand after she announced her decision to step down before Christmas.

“It was a tough decision,” said Rzymowska, who started her cruise career at Royal Caribbean Group in 2005. “I feel it is the right time to hand over the baton.”

She dismissed any suggestion the pandemic had led to her decision to leave Celebrity. “I enjoyed the pandemic because it was a leadership challenge,” she said.

“Now that we’re through the pandemic, and we’re in the new normal, that feels quite exciting as well.

“I’ve been in corporate roles for over 30 years. I’ve got a passion for the ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ space and the younger generation.

“I am at the end of my corporate career.”

She said telling her team of her decision was “emotional”. “I’ve been here for a long time,” she said. “People were pleased for me personally.”