Royal Caribbean rejigs sales team

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is restructuring its UK sales division into separate brand-focused teams for its eponymous brand and its Celebrity Cruises and Azamara brands.

The rest of the business, including marketing, is not thought to be affected by the change, although in the US its brands are run independently of each other.

The branded sales teams will report to the newly created head of sales, who has yet to be appointed. The restructure has also created a new head of business development role. Both roles will be at the same level as Kate Cleaver, head of marketing for the UK operation.

Cleaver will continue to report to Jo Rzymowska, managing director of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, UK and Ireland.

The company would not comment on whether the split along brand lines would be applied to marketing or other functions at a later date.

Rzymowska says that while Royal Caribbean has become a major player in the UK cruise market, the company believes Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises have the potential to be far bigger brands in the UK and Ireland.

In December, Royal Caribbean International announced it was moving its $90m (£45.8m) global advertising account to a WPP Group team composed of JWT and MindShare, dubbed “Team Royal”.