Royal Caribbean vice president & managing director, EMEA, Gerard Nolan said agents should wait to see the data before judging the success of the line’s refundable deposit scheme

Speaking at the CLIA Cruise Forum at De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor this morning (18 December), Nolan was quizzed about the new refundable deposit scheme which Royal Caribbean rolled out for the first time in the UK & Ireland last week.

From 1 December, agents and guests have been given the choice of paying a deposit 20 per cent higher than the normal price, which allows them to receive a refund on the full down payment up until the final balance is due. The scheme has raised concerns among the trade that it will increase the likelihood of customers cancelling their bookings and wiping out potential commissions.

Nolan, who replaced Ben Bouldin in June following his departure to Royal Caribbean’s China market, said: “We introduced the ability to have refundable deposits, which have been in operation in many markets, with the UK & Ireland the last regions to come into the programme.

“A lot of research post-pandemic told us that guests want flexibility and it made a lot of sense to consider [the scheme] for UK and Ireland.

“Feedback from agents was strong. It’s been in play around a week so far so we should let the data lead the way.”

Nolan acknowledged that change “always bring nervousness”, but said agents should let the scheme unfold before judging its success.

“Nervousness [from agents] is fair. However, we’ve got confidence from other markets that the nervousness won’t play out.”

The annual CLIA Cruise Forum takes place today, with a programme of keynote speakers and panels set to address the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector in 2025 and beyond before culminating in a black-tie celebration, which this year will adopt a ‘1984’ theme.