2M New Year spend on the cards for Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Cruises is launching a £2m ad campaign, which it claims is its biggest New Year spend to date. It will include “personalised websites” as part of a targeted effort to attract new holidaymakers.

The campaign, which has been created by Positive Thinking, will include TV and print as well as direct marketing that will be tailored to customers’ profiles, and individual websites will be created for holidaymakers. Visitors to the website will also be able to print personalised brochures.

Head of marketing in the UK Kate Cleaver says that the campaign will focus on the company’s new ship, Independence of the Seas, which will be launched next year and be dedicated to the UK market.

A trade campaign aimed at promoting the cruise company travel agent and tour operators will also run this month.

Meanwhile, the company continues its hunt for a global agency. The pitch is being run from its head office in Miami. Saatchi & Saatchi, DraftFCB and JWT are believed to be on the shortlist.

The Independence of the Seas will be one of the world’s three largest cruise ships, and will be joined in the UK market by other new ships launched in 2008, including P&O’s Ventura and Balmoral, belonging to cruise company Fred Olsen.