Gerard Nolan, the Castleknock born Vice President & Managing Director for Royal Caribbean in EMEA, advised agents to wait for data before evaluating the effectiveness of the new refundable deposit scheme introduced in England and Ireland.
Launched on December 1, the scheme allows customers to pay a deposit 20pc higher than usual, with the option for a full refund until the final payment is due, which has raised concerns about potential booking cancellations and lost commissions.
Nolan emphasized that the decision to implement this scheme was based on extensive research indicating a demand for flexibility among guests following the pandemic, and he noted that similar schemes have been successful in other markets.
Speaking at the CLIA Cruise Forum, Nolan acknowledged the natural nervousness among agents regarding the change, but expressed confidence that the scheme would yield positive results, encouraging patience as initial data is collected.
