French cruise company Compagnie du Ponant has opened its first U.S. sales office, as the line pushes into the North American market.
Terri Haas, a former sales executive with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Costa Cruises, joined Ponant in September 2009 as chief commercial officer for Ponant in North America. She heads Ponant's Miami office.
Ponant is scheduled to take delivery of two new, 264-passenger ships over the next 14 months. Le Boreal is slated for a May 3 delivery, followed by sister ship L'Austral in May 2011.
The Marseille, France-based cruise line currently operates three ships: 64-passenger sailing yacht Le Ponant, 90-passenger yacht Le Levant and 226-passenger Le Diamant.
The company's sailings previously had been marketed to North American travelers only through tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent and Tauck World Discovery that have chartered Ponant's ships.
"We got a lot of positive feedback form our North American guests who tried us through those tour operators," she said. "But when they tried to book with us on their own, it was very difficult to go through Marseille."
The new office will target North American travelers through travel agents for the first time, Haas said, with a focus on FITs and meetings/incentives. Ponant will pay agents 10-15% commission.
The story was updated to add that Ponant will distribute in the U.S. via travel agents.
