Gill’s sets sail with Celebrity iPhone app

Leading cruise retailer Gill’s Cruise Centre has unveiled an Apple iPhone application developed with premium line Celebrity Cruises.


Leading cruise retailer Gill’s Cruise Centre has unveiled an Apple iPhone application developed with premium line Celebrity Cruises.


It is hoped the free application, which offers deck plans, booking information and a short history of Cardiff-based Gill’s, will enhance its brand and broaden the firm’s customer base.


The iPhone and iTouch application will be loaded with new information when it becomes available and Celebrity launches new ships and itineraries.


Information can be accessed when offline, allowing Gill’s customers to use it to find information when at sea and out of network range.


Celebrity Cruises is preparing for its biggest year ever in the UK having decided to base one of its new Solstice-class of ships, Celebrity Eclipse, in Southampton – a first for the cruise lines owned by Royal Caribbean.


Gill’s traditional home is Cardiff but in 2008 it opened a London office and created a new brand Baker Street Cruises.


The London office, which overseas sales for Gill’s, was set up to help the agency compete for sales staff and to ensure Gill’s was taping into the growing less traditional cruise sector.


Gill’s Cruise Centre was the top independent cruise specialist for Celebrity Cruises in the UK last year.


Gill’s Cruise Centre chairman Alistair Gill said: “The Celebrity Cruises App came about through a mutual commitment to providing the best possible service for our customers.


“As iPhones and iPod Touch products become more popular, so we are keen to ensure that we have the right tools to ensure that existing and new customers can use this technology to enhance their cruise experience.


“Gill’s Cruise Centre has always been at the forefront of innovation and we are delighted to launch this app as the first of a series developed via collaborations with our diverse range of partners.”