Celestyal’s John Diorio Offers Sneak Peak at New Trade Positioning

Not even six months out from his appointment as vice president and managing director for North America at Celestyal and John Diorio is already planning big changes for the brand. At a recent press briefing, Diorio gave attendees a sneak peek at the cruise line’s revamped brand and trade positioning.

“We think there’s so much more opportunity to build a stronger relationship with the trade community,” Diorio said.

In addition to investing money in getting its fleet into tip top shape, Diorio emphasized that Celestyal has also invested in growing its sales team to better support the travel advisor community.

“We’re already working right now on some updates and new tools to build deeper engagement with our trade partners,” he added, saying that advisors should expect news about a revamped trade engagement program to come soon.

Aside from new tools, Diorio said the key difference advisors will see is how the company – and its executives and sales reps – talks about a new trade narrative. In other words, how they talk about “what makes our brand really special and unique.”

To make the messaging clear and understandable, Diorio and his team came up with four pillars that explain why advisors should consider doing business with Celestyal.

Celestyal’s Heartfelt Journeys, Iconic Ports, and Rising Stars

The first facet that Celestyal will be focusing more on is its onboard experience, driven, in part, by the size of its ships – just 1,250 to 1,300 passengers, which Diorio said creates a more intimate experience.

“This makes our travelers feel more at home and you can see that in the guest satisfaction scores,” he said.

The second part of the new brand and trade positioning highlights where Celestyal takes it guests, including both the iconic ports (like Santorini in Greece and Dubai in the Middle East) and smaller, lesser-visited pots (like Milos or Oman).

Celestyal’s Shoreside Backstage Travel Pass

The third pillar Diorio said Celestyal will be focusing on, is what clients do when they get to their destination.

“This is really where we shine,” he said, calling Celestyal’s shore excursions authentic and immersive. “We take our travelers behind the scenes. It’s very much about the community experience in those destinations.”

Celestyal shore excursions can include activities like cooking alongside a local family or learning traditional crafts from an expert.

Diorio also emphasized that shore excursions are fully commissionable to travel advisors, a rarity in the cruise industry. (Diorio came to Celestyal from Virgin Voyages, which also makes shore excursions commissionable when pre-purchased.)

“We are committed to our trade partners. If they’re selling us, they should earn a commission for what they sell,” he said.

Celestyal’s Travel Advisor Tools

The fourth focus of Celestyal’s trade positioning moving forward focuses on the tools that the cruise line provides to its travel advisor and agency partners. Tools include Celestyal Compass, where advisors can find all kinds of assets to use in their own marketing, as well as a training program, which gives advisors the insights they need to promote and sell the brand.

“We’ve got a clear vision of where we are going to grow the trade business in North America. We’re putting the right pieces in place to really enhance the partnership experience for our partners,” Diorio said.

More information about the brand’s new positioning will be released in the coming months.