Royal Caribbean International held the fourth edition of The BRIDGE, the annual awards ceremony that brings together and recognizes the best travel partners and their colleagues from Latin America and the Caribbean in 21 categories. This year, the event took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with representatives from over 15 countries in the region attending.

The choice of Argentina as the host underscores the importance of the Argentine market for the company, which continues to see significant growth despite the economic crisis.

Alberto Muñoz, Associate Vice President of Royal Caribbean International for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted during the press conference: "The Argentine market is important to us and has been gradually recovering. Despite the crisis, it remains a significant market for Royal Caribbean. Moreover, we have an entire network of travel partners here that has been growing, supporting them to generate more business and opportunities."

Among the winners were Mauricio Bustamante from NAO Travel Collection, Orlando Marerón and Mauricio Materón from Discover the World, who received The BRIDGE Mexico and The BRIDGE LACAR (Latin America and the Caribbean) awards, respectively. Additionally, Claudia González from Intercruises Mexico was awarded the Leadership in the Industry Mexico prize, and Germánico Maya from Viajes Amazonas Ecuador was recognized in the Leadership in the Industry LACAR (Latin America and the Caribbean) category.

Shortly before the awards ceremony, Alberto Muñoz spoke with members of the press and provided a detailed overview of the market and current trends in the cruise industry:

"With this event, we support these partners to generate more business and opportunities. We have also increased new B2C sales points, although these sales points always operate through a travel partner.

We have some success stories where a travel partner serves clients and manages a sales point that, at first glance, looks like a traditional store. For example, three weeks ago, we launched a new sales point in the Oviedo Shopping Center in Medellin, along with Deluxe Travel. This event was very special and has had fantastic results. From day one, people have been buying and generating sales.

The slogan of the meeting in Buenos Aires was 'Creating Trends Together,' highlighting our continuous innovation," he said. "This innovative approach has characterized the company throughout its history. A perfect example of this innovation is our new ship, Icon of the Seas. Over more than fifty years, we have created trends that drive new business. Our message to our partners is to take advantage of these trends to continue growing in the Latin American market, always in partnership with the trade, which is essential to developing the region.

As for trends, we have noticed that younger generations are interested in taking a cruise next year. However, they also want personalized attention for advice. In the Colombian market, air connectivity between Latin America and the United States continues to grow, allowing the market to expand from secondary cities to the United States. Another trend is that cruisers are looking for an immersive experience on board, maximizing gastronomy and entertainment.

The launch of Utopia of the Seas fits perfectly into this trend, offering a complete weekend where there won't be enough time to explore the entire ship. We are also improving CocoCay and launching a collection of beach clubs in the Caribbean, starting with Nassau next year and Cozumel in 2026.

Our next steps include the launch of Utopia in July, followed by the mentioned beach clubs. Additionally, we are building the Star of the Seas, which will start sailing from Port Canaveral next year. Then, a third Icon-class ship will arrive a year later, and we will also build another Oasis-class ship, responding to the high demand for immersive experiences.

We have noticed that passengers are willing to pay for a better experience, as evidenced by the sale of the Ultimate Family Townhouse, a three-story cabin on the Icon. This demand for luxury products with high-quality entertainment makes us very happy.

Yesterday, for example, an agency in Mexico sold the Ultimate Family Townhouse, celebrating the high level of interest in these products. This reflects that many cruisers seek newer ships, but there are also those who choose based on destinations, such as the fjords, regardless of the ship's age.

We remain the preferred brand globally and in Latin America, with a higher satisfaction level than even luxury hotel brands. The demand for the Icon and the Star is very strong, with full bookings for this year and already selling well for next year.

Finally, in Latin America, and especially in Argentina, there is a lot of excitement about our products. The awards we organize include recognition in areas such as social media, marketing campaigns, and leadership. The most important awards are the Industry Leader and The Bridge, which highlight outstanding performance in all areas."

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