Alex D White told TTG that the 3,000 agents were across 200 registered agencies, and he said the line’s “multimillion pound investment” in the Shine Rewards Club was “strategically the most important thing we’ve done in recent in recent years”.
The loyalty programme, which will go live on December 21, was unveiled last week. It will also be extended to other Carnival brands next year.
“It’s so great to see so many accounts engage with it,” White said. “What makes it unique compared with other loyalty clubs in the sector is that anyone working in the trade can register for it, even if they are not a front line seller. For instance, if they are in marketing but still want to do the training or ship visits then they can earn points”.
Asked by TTG whether the new club was a move by the line to reassure agents of their loyalty following Carnival UK’s commission cuts in 2011, White replied: “We recognise that to some people that decision may have been unpopular, but for many it was the right approach at that time.
“We have demonstrated our loyalty to the trade - creating the two dedicated partnerships teams earlier this year [for P&O and Cunard] was a significant investment, and the Shine Rewards Club is the next step of that.”
Elsewhere Paul Ludlow, P&O Cruises’ senior vice president revealed that the line’s newest ship – the largest to be built for the UK market – will go on sale in September 2018.
The vessel, which is set for delivery in 2020, will accommodate around 6,000 passengers and will feature 17 dining venues Ludlow revealed, including some “evolutions” of existing restaurants onboard other ships in the fleet.
He refused to disclose the name of the new ship, but said 43,000 submissions had been sent in by members of the public.
Meanwhile Ludlow referenced the recent appearance of P&O’s Britannia on BBC’s The Apprentice, as he said the episode attracted 5.5 million viewers – a series record for the show. “We had 180,000 impressions on Facebook, and our website went crazy – we saw a 243% uplift in traffic,” he added.
