Royal Caribbean has bolstered its trade sales team with a number of new hires and internal promotions as it looks to enhance its agent relationships ahead of the 2024 wave period.

New hires include Inspiretec’s Danny Girling who joins as senior account manager for new business; Now Lets Travel’s Ellie Lamb who takes up the north east sales development manager role; Molly Ewens who joins as south east sales development manager; and Laura Bailey, the line’s new south west sales development manager.

Royal Caribbean director of sales Stuart Byron also confirmed a number of internal promotions, which sees Luke Vanderhoeven move to the role of UK field sales manager; Kelly Ashby to divisional sales manager for the south; and Sophie Wilson to divisional sales manager for the north.

“We now have a fully resourced on-the-ground sales team for the UK following three internal promotions and four external new hires,” Byron told Cruise Trade News. “This growth was driven by our desire to provide fantastic support to our trade partners across the UK and is testament to the incredible work they’re doing.”

New Royal hires to ‘really understand agents’ desires’

The new structure, Byron continued, will enable Royal to offer “even more detailed and personalised support” to agents, ensuring they have the “best chance of supporting their customers and bringing a Royal Caribbean holiday to life”.

The refresh comes as Royal looks to start 2024 with a team which can offer a “high level of in-depth support” to agents, Byron said.

“By bringing the team together this year, the new hires will have time to really understand the business and our agents, whilst those who have found themselves in new roles have time to prep ahead of what is sure to be a busy but successful year,” he continued.

In addition to the new appointments in the sales team, Royal has also welcomed existing team member, Holly Matthews, into her new role as sales admin manager. “I’m confident she will prove to be an asset to our trade partners,” Byron explained.

Next year, which will be ushered in by the launch of Icon of the Seas at the end of January, will also be the first full year Royal will have its EMEA training manager, Kristi Reeser, onboard. The line currently in the process of developing an “extensive and exciting” agent training calendar for 2024.