Speaking to TTG ahead of the announcement of the line’s second Sphere-class vessel, Star Princess, Princess Cruises sales director Nick Hughes said the company is currently rewriting its trade training programme – the Princess Academy – to reflect the new class. 

"We have the opportunity in 2023 alone to host more than 1,000 agents on ship visits in and around the British Isles across 22 different dates," Hughes explained.

 "We are also looking at fam trips to run in Q4 of this year, which I think is a good starting point to build on, and of course we’ll look to increase that engagement with agents to get them to our products."

Hughes said the launch of the new class was a "great nod" in the direction of the line’s trade partners with two new ships coming online in the next two years.

"Going back to 2021 and 2022 with the staycations and looking at way the trade supported us, we are in some ways rewarding that commitment with more capacity," Hughes said.

Hughes, who said the UK will play a "major role" in the success of the new vessels, explained how Princess plans to "get as many agents onboard Sun Princess as possible" when the ship docks in Southampton next summer.

The enhanced trade focus comes as Princess reports "another record-breaking" year, with 2023 bookings shaping up to surpass 2022 and 2019 levels.

"With the further news of our second ship coming into the fleet in 2025, it’s helping that momentum," Hughes said. "We’re in a really good position to move forward for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024 and 2025."