Jason Liberty, speaking after the group announced its Q2 financial results for 2023, said the company’s travel partners are delivering more bookings now than they did in 2019.
This has been bolstered, Liberty added, by an increase in new-to-cruise customers – which also exceeded 2019 levels – and post-cruise repeat booking rates doubling compared with pre-pandemic figures.
Booking volumes since the brand’s last full year update have continued to accelerate for 2023 sailings, and even more so for 2024, Liberty reported, with the majority of RCG’s bookings coming in for next year.
By the close of the year RCG will have taken delivery of three new ships; Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova last month, Celebrity Cruises’ Ascent in December and Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas in late Q4.
"Our business is firing on all cylinders as we exceed expectations in Q2 and signfincialty increased our earnings and cash flow guidance for 2023," Liberty said.
"The current trends in the booking environment have allowed many of these metrics to have been achieved much early than we expected."
He continued: "We have made positive strides to narrowing the gap to land based vacations and while the Caribbean remains our top performing destination, we are particularly pleased with the strength of Europe in close-in demand."
