Carmen de Santa Ana Gil (Seville) holds a degree in Tourism from the University of Seville. She began working at Viajes El Corte Inglés in 1988 at the Princesa Shopping Center branch. A year later, she joined Tourmundial in the Booking department. In 1995, she was appointed Cruise Product Manager, and in 2012, she also became responsible for managing the Disneyland Paris product. Since March 2018, she has been the Director of Holiday Bookings at Viajes El Corte Inglés.
Utopica.Cruises is a brand of the El Corte Inglés Travel Group that was created to represent Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises in Spain.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 54 – October 2020
As an expert in the sector, had you ever imagined a complete shutdown of the global cruise fleet?
No, this is like a meteorite hitting the planet. I've only experienced something similar, but on a very small scale, during the Gulf War, and it only affected ships in the Mediterranean, not on a global scale.
VECI ventures into representing two brands from major cruise lines: Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, both part of Royal Caribbean Group. What is Utópica.Cruises?
Utópica.Cruises is a brand of the Viajes El Corte Inglés Group, created to represent these two companies. We aim to promote premium cruises within the Spanish market, as we firmly believe there is significant potential in this segment, and these two companies align with our marketing objectives. Furthermore, they share our values: guarantee, trust, and quality.
Will there be more representations, more brands for Utopica.Cruises?
We haven't considered that yet; we're just starting out, and time will tell. We're launching in the worst possible circumstances. This will require a great deal of effort, but we believe it will be worth it and that we will overcome the current situation.
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are two premium brands, but with very different characteristics, and Celebrity Cruises has a very significant growth and expansion plan. Will the Spanish market finally discover Celebrity Cruises?
That's our goal. I know Celebrity Cruises very well; its product within the premium segment is, in my opinion, one of the most complete, without diminishing the value of its competitors. But it's a shame it hasn't received much attention in the Spanish market so far. There are many customers who, if they truly knew everything Celebrity Cruises offers on its ships—in gastronomy, design, innovation, and technology—would be willing to travel with this company. We are very excited about this project and will do everything in our power to make it available to all travel agencies in Spain.
In 2021, Barcelona will host Celebrity Cruises' best premium ship, the Celebrity Apex.
What is Utopica.Cruises' structure?
It has a basic structure; this year we've been conservative because, as I mentioned, we started under special circumstances. The team consists of seven people divided between operations, communications and marketing, administration, and sales. We also have a sales director who handles agreements with travel agencies.
Cruise lines are reporting an increase in bookings for 2021. How do you see the recovery in Spain? How long will it take for the Spanish market to regain confidence?
The growth forecast for 2021 is currently unrealistic; we're comparing advance sales to the same period last year, and we have to keep in mind that many bookings have been rescheduled, not new.
On the other hand, last year advance sales began around this time. This year, we have nothing left to sell beyond 2021, which distorts the figures. I believe we won't recover our sales figures until 2022. We also have to consider that we don't know if Pullmantur will resume operations, and if not, we don't really know if customers in that segment will be absorbed by other companies or opt for other products.
It must also be taken into account that the country's socio-economic situation will not be the same and, although there is a great desire to travel, many people will not be able to afford a cruise.
Confidence will, of course, come with the vaccine. Although I believe, more than in the vaccine, in the rapid tests that will soon be available, which will allow passengers to take them right in port before boarding. This will guarantee safety on board.
Meanwhile, we need to give maximum flexibility to clients and agencies, have guaranteed safety measures, and plenty of positive communication so that the market can rediscover what cruising can offer.
Just a quick plug for Celebrity Cruises: I want to remind you that this year the Celebrity Apex, the newest and best premium ship in their fleet, will be docked in Barcelona. As soon as we're allowed, we'll be organizing tours for travel agents so they can experience this marvel that will be here this season.
