Amadeus
has reported a 375 percent increase in worldwide cruise bookings in Q1 2004 over Q1 2003.Ê This can be attributed to the increased availability of cruise providers within the Amadeus system and the ease with which agents are able to use technology to access cruise information and make bookings.Ê Amadeus is the only GDS to internationally provide agents with real-time access to multiple cruise providers using a standardised and graphical sales tool.

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With seven cruise providers now available for Amadeus Cruises bookers in the UK, agents are now able to take advantage of this growing market segment.Ê Increasing participation of the Carnival Corporation brands, the rapid adoption of the Cruise product by travel agents due to the increasing awareness and popularity of cruising as a holiday option has also helped spur growth. ÊÊÊ

Paul Ellerby, managing director of Costa Cruises (UK), which is the latest provider available to Amadeus Cruise users said, “Costa selected Amadeus Cruise because it helps increase our sales significantly. The system changes the way our bookings are handled because agents no longer need to use the phone. With Amadeus Cruise the whole process is automated, so that they can access cruises, view fares and book, all from their desktop on one easy-to-use system. It speeds up bookings which is especially important as the launch of so many ships in the last few years has created additional capacity.”

Amadeus UK is soon to release the latest Amadeus Cruise software update which will be deployed automatically, meaning that no engineer site visit or agency downtime is anticipated. The product continually undergoes user-defined enhancements, channelled through the regular Amadeus Cruise forums held in the USA and Europe where cruise providers and agents meet to share views on future product development.Ê Benefits available in the next version include shore excursion booking capabilities and passenger address validation for the UK market.

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Andrew Moran, Process & Systems Manager of Carnival UK said, “P&O Cruises has used Amadeus Cruise for two years and we’ve been pleased with the response from travel agents. P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Swan Hellenic are all available through Amadeus and we will be looking to work with the system for our other brands in the near future.”

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Yannick Beunardeau, Director, Ground and Maritime Solutions of Amadeus said, “The UK is now the number two global market for Amadeus Cruise bookings following its successful rollout to travel agents. Today, over 23,000 agents in more than 80 markets around the world tap into the lucrative, high-margin cruise market by leveraging the easy-to-use technology offered by Amadeus Cruise.

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Amadeus Cruise is also available in a stand-alone version, the first and only tool of its kind offered by a GDS which allows any UK travel agency to sell cruise packages right from their desktop using the Internet, regardless of their location or GDS affiliation.

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