Royal, Celebrity and Azamara poised to move to Espresso booking system

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are poised to switch over to a new intuitive booking system.

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are poised to switch over to a new intuitive booking system.

Bespoke reservation tool Espresso will replace the former CruiseMatch booking system completely from June 1.

Any agents still using CruiseMatch are being urged to switch over to the new system before the end of May.

RCL Cruises has run the two reservations platforms concurrently for more than a year to allow agents to train and gain their confidence on the new system ahead of the switch over.

Almost 600 agents have also attended 50 virtual classes on how to use the new system in addition to training by the on-the-road sales teams of the three cruise lines.

Espresso provides side-by-side comparisons of itineraries, highlights the best promotional offers, and displays a customer’s history – such as recent promotions sent to them, destination and accommodation preferences – which can then be automatically populated into any new booking.

The new reservations tool is optimized for use on tablet devices and also features interactive deck plans that highlight the best available cabins, including those that might be interconnecting or closest to a specific location. Cabin photos and layouts are also easily available to view.

Kerry Nicholson, training specialist for the three lines, said: “The powerful new Espresso tool has been developed in response to the needs and feedback of our agent partners. “We have listened throughout the process and reduced the time and clicks it takes to make a booking.

“Almost all our UK and Ireland agent partners are using Espresso already, and we have carried out extensive training to ensure that everyone is ready for the final switch over.”

Espresso is being introduced globally and has been developed to aid agents in selling more cruises, earning more, and growing their business.