Royal Caribbean Group's new CEO, Jason Liberty, told travel advisors
on Wednesday that the Covid-19 pandemic was "a meteor that hit our
industry, but we have survived that hit".
Liberty is the hand-picked successor to Richard Fain, who stepped
down this month after 33 years at the helm of Royal Caribbean. Liberty
made his first appearance 12 January on Coffee Talk, the weekly webinar
started early in the pandemic by Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean
International's senior vice president of sales, trade support and
service.
When
Freed asked about about Royal Caribbean Group's outlook, Liberty said
that 2Q performance is still in line with expectations, although
first-quarter cruise cancellations are having an impact "that's hurting
all of us".
But long-term prospects for cruising continue to be very strong, he said.
"There is tremendous momentum," he said. "Our guests make it clear that there is really strong demand for cruise."
"People are just really looking for consistency," he added, saying
that "especially in the long-term, there's no doubt that people want to
travel. People want to accumulate incredible experiences and make
experiences and memories with their families and friends, and there is
no better platform than cruise to be able to do that."
Liberty said that Royal is still advertising and investing in its
product. "I think it's very important to know that even through this
entire journey, we have not and we will not compromise our guest
experience," he said.
Liberty reiterated his support for the travel trade, echoing comments
he made to Travel Weekly when he was appointed CEO last November.
"Any
good business-minded person needs to appreciate the things they do and
how they do it," Liberty said of travel advisors. "[Cruise] is a complex
product that requires education, and our trade partners are essential
to us in helping bring customers through that process."
Source: Travel Weekly