Vicki might love travel agents but apparently she likes Royal Caribbean more! Wow, now there is a surprise I was not expecting!
This just in!
Royal Caribbean International today named cruise industry veteran Vicki Freed as the company's senior vice president, sales.
Freed joins the company after 29 years with Carnival Cruise Lines, where she spent the last 15 years as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to that, Freed served in a variety of sales management positions within the cruise line.
From 1998 to 2000, Freed also served as the first, and only, female chairman of the Cruise Line International Association, the marketing and travel agent training arm of the North American cruise industry.
"Vicki has an outstanding and proven background within our industry and we are very pleased to have her join our team," said Adam Goldstein, president and chief executive officer, Royal Caribbean International. "Vicki's passionate support of travel agents has been well chronicled and recognized. She will be a great asset to our brand as we continue to grow."
In her new role, Freed will take charge of the company's 345-person sales force, the largest sales team in the cruise industry. She will also manage the company's Trade Support and Services division, which includes Reservations, Group Sales, Customer Service, and Loyalty Programs. Freed will report to Goldstein.
Freed earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Colorado, and holds a Certified Travel Counselor designation. She also serves as a trustee of the United Way of Miami-Dade County.
Weird. Why would a prestigious company like RCCL hire from a, oh let me find it, "bottom feeder cruise line."
ReplyDeleteI expect the YTBers will say she is no longer a loyal comrad (traitor!) and the people that before called Carnival the above quoted, will now say that was too good for the company and that is why she changed. I mean, obviously 'she' didn't cause it become the scum of the cruise pond (I would have italicized to make my comment seem a little more sarcastic, but I couldn't find the option).
To do italics you need to begin with a tag that looks like this {i} where the {} are really <>. And then after the part you want in italics you need to close it with a tag that looks like this {/i}where the {} are really <>. So it looks like this.
ReplyDeleteNow as to Vicki--I doubt there will be much of that. It is just curious and I wonder what the ramifications are going to be? Vicki has stated that she likes the MLM model, yet Adam has said the company stands behind Bauer and Ritzenthaler's decisions 100%.
So, will RCCL back down or will Vicki have to do a little backpedaling? What does this mean for the ichi ban supplier of YTB? I have an inkling but we will just have to wait and see--maybe I will put it together this weekend and unveil my prediction on Monday!
Oh My!
ReplyDeleteThis could be a very interesting developement.
Guess I got to go post this on my blog. By the way...what gives with you beating me to the punch on this? LOL!
Intersting statistics. Good luck Vicki.
ReplyDeleteRCCL - 42,271 employees (GF)
PERIOD ENDING 30-Sep-07
Total Revenue 1,953,594
Cost of Revenue 1,149,242
Gross Profit 804,352
Carnival - 10,100 employees (GF)
Total Revenue 4,321,000
Cost of Revenue 2,189,000
Gross Profit 2,132,000
Carnival Cruise Line is a bottom feeder cruise line, and RCCL has made a huge mistake. I have met Ms. Freed, and would not trust her as far as I could throw her.
ReplyDeleteCarnival produces twice as much profit on 75% less employees . . .
ReplyDeleteVicki will reinstate YTB before Summer . . .
Tom
Score keeper...where are those figures from? Are they apples to apples--mostly in terms of employees. That seems out of kilter to me. Possibly the RCI numbers encompass all brands and CCL is just the one? Just does not sound right to me.
ReplyDeleteTom--don't count on the reinstatement. Adam G has publicly stated his support of the move and honestly he was the man who (as the YTBers like to hear) "pulled the trigger" or "called the play" on the letter that fired YTB and the others. He is also coming off a robust quarter that showed no impact of the decision and CCL is coming off a disappointing quarter.
John said...
ReplyDeleteScore keeper...where are those figures from?
John, those came from Google Finance.
Hmm--just does not sound right to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I found one report, can't remember where, that said RCCL had 1 employee. Had to laugh at that one.
ReplyDeleteBTW, John did I read you had 4th quarter financials for RCCL and CCL? Where can I go to view them?
I have not seen any financials, but it was an article and I am pretty sure it was on 3Q results. I would not expect 4Q for another 3-4 weeks!
ReplyDeleteYes, the numbers don't make sense to me.
John;
ReplyDeleteIf Adam "pulled the trigger" (which is MY phrase by the way thank you.) then why only 4 letters? I thought this was supposed to be sweeping of all Travel MLM's and Card Mills.
All I've heard is YTB and Joystar. Rumors of one here and one there but nothing I'd be willing to back.
Then Lisa moves, and now Vicki who's expressed her support for YTB is now in.
Do you have that public statement of Adams?
It's not shaping up in my mind like your telling me here.
I'm also reading about a woman scorned, as Vicki wanted the Presidents position and some say she should have got it.
All I've heard is YTB and Joystar.
ReplyDeleteDoug, Global Travel International is the 3rd Company Cut From RCCL.
Don't miss Our One Hour "Carnival Connection Call" This Morning..Sat Jan 19th At 10:30AM - 11:30AM ET. With "Ann Sedgwick, Business Development Director" Of "Carnival Cruise Lines". You Know The Number, She'll Give Us Any Info We Need To Know & The Call Offers Extensive GROUP TRAINING For YTB RTA's.
Anonymous--Ann will give you all the information that Carnival thinks yo need to know. If you believe anything else, you are deluded. Until you sign Ann's paycheck, her allegiance is to Carnival. And knowing Maurice, I imagine that the field reps have been issued a gag order on this for now other than to mimic what has been publicly released.
ReplyDeleteDoug, here is Adam's statement:
The timing of the announcement led many travel agents to wonder if Bauer's move from her sales position might be related to the flare-up regarding Royal Caribbean's decision to stop doing business with companies it considered card mills, including YTB International and Joystar. Goldstein laughed at the notion.
"To think that we the company, or I personally, would trust her with something as critical to the welfare of our company as hotel operations at Royal Caribbean International because of one sales issue is literally inconceivable," he said. "She earned this opportunity because of five years of phenomenally impressive work across every aspect of distribution."
When asked if Goldstein supported the decision to terminate business with the so-called card mills, he said, "I absolutely support all of the positions that [Bauer] has taken on the various issues that have been facing us recently."
http://www.travelweekly.com/articles.aspx?articleid=59518
Under SALES TENURE LAUDED
Perhaps Vicki got tired of the bottom feeders?
ReplyDeleteRCL has paid a dividend for 59 quarters in a row - CCL has not paid one in a looooong time....
ReplyDeleteSomething's wrong with those figres .....
The employee figures are out of whack. Anyone who seriously knows the industry (as you all seem to profess) would be able to calculate....number of crew per ship is between 900 and 1200, depending on size, giving at least approx 24,000 without even considering the shoreside divisions.
ReplyDeletePerhaps "olescorekeeper" needs to sharpen the logic and mathematics skills?!