Imagine Cruising has hired former Princess Cruises UK and Europe Vice President Tony Roberts as it works towards making its packages available to UK travel agents.
Tony, who was also previously Seabourn Head of UK and Europe before a stint with Warner Hotels, has joined Imagine Cruising as Acting Chief Commercial Officer.
Strategic Manager Carl Burrows said part of Tony’s remit was to help shape its B2B strategy I the UK following its ‘very successful’ launch to the travel trade in Australia last year.
“We won’t be like other tour operators, we won’t sell through literally every travel agent in the UK, what we are doing right now is working out who would like to sell our product and who we should sell through.”
While no commercial agreements are in place, Carl said Imagine Cruising has already held discussions with several consortia, including Advantage and TTNG.
“We are talking to everyone, and so far the feedback has been positive,” he added. “We have identified an appetite amongst travel agents for our product.”
Imagine Cruising sells mainly curated packages, which combine cruises with land stays. “Tony will ensure a seamless and successful launch into the B2B space,” added Carl. “With his distinguished reputation in the industry, including 23 years of working with leading cruise lines including Princess and Seabourn, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience, which complement our entrepreneurial skills.”
Tony added: “I’m very excited to be joining the Imagine team. I’m going to be working across the commercial organisation and I’m looking forward to spending time with the team and learning more about what they are working on, what their priorities are, and how I can help.
“I’ve worked with Imagine Cruising as a supplier in the past and I’ve always been a huge admirer of this business, the Imagine brand, and the incredible guest experiences created by this team.”
