Legend of the Seas will launch on 11 July with a seven-night sailing from Civitavecchia, Italy, but a month later, the third Icon class ship will operate a cruise from Barcelona with hundreds of agents onboard.
The seminar at sea sailing was announced at a trade event held at Fulham Football Club’s Craven Cottage in west London on Monday (24 November).
Aaron Langford, Royal Caribbean International’s UK and Ireland senior sales director, said: “It will be our biggest-ever seminar at sea on Legend of the Seas in Barcelona next August. We’re very excited about that.
“This class of ship is only going to grow and we need more people to be involved in understanding what it is to sell an Icon class ship whether it be in Barcelona or the Caribbean.”
Langford later told TTG further details about how agents can earn their place on the 5,610-passenger ship would be revealed before Christmas.
“Onboard it will be a mix of new-to-cruise agents and experienced ones,” he added. “Places will be allocated rather than awarded through a competition."
He told agents the family-focused line planned to run more seminar at sea events in the Caribbean. “We’ve branched out over the last year with a few bits here and there, but we want to make this more of a regular occurrence.
"There will be more to come on that, but that’s really exciting because you’ll not only be able to see the best in class in hardware, but you’ll also be able to see best in class for private destinations too.”
He promised agents who join these seminar at sea sailings would return to the UK and Ireland able to sell Royal products with greater confidence.
Royal revealed this year around 1,500 agents had taken part in a ship visit with around 400 more joining a seminar at sea cruise.
Upper Deck tweak
The line’s UK and Ireland team also announced an enhanced version of its Upper Deck programme, which rewards agents who make Royal bookings.
In September 2024, Royal unveiled its Upper Deck trade loyalty programme where agents can earn up to £500 per booking plus their usual commission.
It also introduced a club where agents who book more than £100,000 total revenue within a 12-month period will have access to exclusive experiences such as ship preview events and onboard events.
However, on Monday, Royal extended the programme so top-selling agents would earn prizes when they made £250,000 worth of Royal bookings.
Nicki Lewis, Royal Caribbean’s sales enablement director, said: “We’re launching Upper Deck 250. We will still have Upper Deck 100, but Upper Deck 250 goes live today.”
Any Upper Deck member who claims more than £250,000 worth of bookings will become a member of this club.
Upper Deck 250 members will receive a guaranteed place on Royal’s world leadership travel agent panel, a guaranteed place on any Royal ship launch “no matter where they are”, some merchandise and £250 holiday cashback, Lewis said.
