Royal Caribbean has introduced FlexPay,a new payment programme on its
Espresso booking system, that allows travel agents to give their
clients the option of making their cruise payments in small increments
at different intervals.
Cruisers who book through travel agents can enjoy the flexibility in
paying small amounts across different dates, instead of the conventional
payment method which requires guests to pay for their sailing in one
lump sum prior to sailing. Cruisers are eligible for FlexPay if they’ve
paid the minimum deposit and their booking is outside final payment.
Based on their clients’ preferences or specifications, travel
partners who utilise the Espresso booking system can pre-schedule up to
10 automatic payments arranged by date and amount. Multiple credit cards
can also be used for the incremental payments, e.g. first payment can
be made with an AMEX card, second payment can be made with a Mastercard,
etc.
Beyond FlexPay, Royal Caribbean has also rolled out with a range of
new features on its Espresso booking system that offer better
personalisation and give travel agents a leg up over direct bookings.
For future cruise credit (FCC) redemption, travel agents can not only
redeem these FCCs on behalf of their clients, but also check on the
amount, status and expiration date of each client’s credits. Credits can
also be shared across all parties in the same reservation.
Additionally, agents can utilise the eQuote function to conveniently
and efficiently obtain personalised quotes to better drive customer
conversion.
With the testing and requirements tool, agents can keep their clients
up to date with the current protocols for each sailing and itinerary
with a customised email to each guest that includes the travel partner
name and contact info.
The cruise planner tool can further give travel partners better
insights on each ship’s offerings from its shore excursions to dining
options, and onboard activities to various cabin configurations, to
better serve their clients.