Speaking at the Clia conference last week, Stuart Leven, vice-president EMEA and managing director RCL Cruises Ltd, said Brexit posed three challenges to the sector: the freedom of cruise passengers and guests to cross borders; the freedom of staff to cross borders; and potential changes to the Customs Union, which could see cruise lines having to pay duties on the goods they carry.

“At the moment, ships can move through Europe without paying duty on goods onboard the ships,” Leven explained to TTG. “In the event that a solution isn’t found for the Customs Union [in the Brexit negotiations], and I do think there will be, cruise lines would have to pay duties.

“There was a white paper written by the Tourism Industry Council, which was submitted in November to the Department for Exiting the European Union, which cruise lines contributed to. It outlines the part of negotiations where we feel we need the government to deliver so that we have the same situation that we have now.”

Leven insisted that industry bodies had done “a very good job in coming together” on the issue.

“There’s an awful lot going on behind the scenes with airlines, the hospitality industry and the cruise sector, which are all coming together,” he said.

Leven added that the cruise sector specifically was working closely with the Chamber of Shipping regarding “anything that affects marine and staff”.

“For anything that affects passengers, we’re working closely with Abta,” he said.

“We’re confident that the relevant bodies within the government fully understand and appreciate the areas where we need resolution. I’m not concerned [about Brexit],” he insisted. “We’ve fired the starting gun on negotiations.”

Leven also said he believed there would be “opportunities that come out as a result of Brexit” and said agents should reassure clients concerned about uncertainty.

“There will be a booking period where there is uncertainty, but our travel partners should keep positive and upbeat and pass that on to the customers,” he said.

“We need to reassure them that as an industry we are doing the right things to make sure we are represented within government.”