Regent Seven Seas Cruises have celebrated a decade of growth in the Asia Pacific region with eyes firmly fixed towards a buoyant future.
Industry partners, travel agents and media gathered at the InterContinental Sydney for a special event to mark the brand’s 10 year anniversary.
Lisa Pile, Vice President Sales & General Manager for Asia Pacific for both Regent and Oceania, paid tribute to those who had helped the company reach the milestone.
“It’s been a superb ride and we would never, ever have got here without every individual in this room and the role that you’ve all played.”
Ms Pile recalled the first booking the company took when it changed from a GSA. It was a $225,000 booking for a world cruise.
“I knew we were going to have good karma from that moment,” added Ms Pile.
Looking ahead to the future, Ms Pile said there were nine new ships on order between now and 2037, with five for Oceania and four for Regent.
“There is huge interest in this part of the world and we thank you for making that happen, not only from an outbound point of view, but also from an inbound point of view. Australia and this region are absolutely booming in so many ways,” she added.
Guest of honour was Steve Odell (above), recently announced as a global ambassador for both brands and relocating to Australia after two years in Miami.
“I don’t think you truly appreciate this country and this city until you go away from it and you come home,” he said.
“You don’t appreciate the beautiful place in which we live and we should all treasure that because it is quite difficult in other parts of the world right now.”
Looking back on the history of RSSC, Mr Odell said they had come a long way since their humble beginnings.
“I turn the clock back to 2015 and I think we started with pretty much nothing. I feel very proud to have been part of that journey,” he said.
“My role now is to be the face of the company and to advise on international business as well. So you’ll certainly see me, because I’m going to be around, especially supporting what I what I consider to be my baby here in Australia.
“We’ve got a huge order book through 2037 – I’ll definitely be retired by then – but that means more deployment into this region and more opportunities to sell. It’s a really incredible statement for the future.”
Images courtesy Belinda Rolland
