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On the supply
side, the big talk in the cruise business is the change in bookings shifting to
cruisers sourced outside of the U.S.
As an example, last July, RCI President Adam Goldstein told financial analysts:
"The Royal Caribbean International brand is more globally oriented than the
North American-centric brands that are normally understood as our competitive
set. We now view Southampton, Barcelona, Venice, Sao Paulo [where Royal recently
opened an office], and even Shanghai as so-called drive markets, along with
Galveston, Tampa, and Baltimore."
Moving forward to July 2009, Goldstein told financial analysts that about 2/3 of
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity's passengers in Europe this summer will not be
from the U.S. There are few indications the shift in sourcing will slow down. On
Royal's most recent earnings call, Goldstein pointed out: "Another consideration
for the upcoming winter season will be the performance of our products that
depend very little on customers from the U.S. This includes our cruises in
Panama, Brazil, The Middle East, Asia, and Australia." |
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc.
150 S. University Dr. Ste E,
Plantation, FL 33324 - USA
Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954
252 3945
EMail:
sales@cruiseco.com |
