Royal Caribbean has announced the appointment of Rosie Long, who will join the UK & Ireland sales team as strategic account manager for Thomas Cook.

Long joins Royal Caribbean from AB InBev where she held the position of new business key account manager, and prior to that Mars where she was a key account manager for the south of England.

She will report into the soon to be appointed sales director and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Thomas Cook account.

Ben Bouldin, managing director for UK&I, Royal Caribbean, said: “Rosie brings a fresh and exciting set of skills to the Royal Caribbean sales team.

“Her experience outside of the travel industry, working with a range of household fast-moving consumer goods brands, gives her a unique perspective and is part of our on-going effort to attract the best talent to our growing team.”

Long will offer bespoke product advice to enable agents to effectively sell Royal Caribbean holidays and keep them informed of training, events and other incentives.

She added: “I have always admired how Royal Caribbean continuously breaks new ground in the travel industry, while providing unparalleled trade support and customer service.

“With the constant innovation the brand delivers, including a ship launching every year for ten years from 2018, Royal Caribbean ships really are the fast-moving consumer goods of the cruise industry and I’m excited to be part of this journey.”