Royal Caribbean has announced their new reservation system for travel agents, Espresso, will launch in March of this year. Espresso is slated to create a more efficient, intuitive booking experience for agents. Espresso is especially helpful for cash-strapped independent travel agents because it’s free to use.

Espresso will replace the CruiseMatch system currently in place and reduces the number of steps in the reservation process to five. The new system also recognizes past guests so agents have a record of their purchase history, and allows for side-by-side comparison of up to four staterooms. Agents can also compare individual rates against group pricing, and search ship deck plans for adjacent rooms and handicap-accessible rooms.

By making the Espresso application tablet-friendly, Royal Caribbean hopes to secure a connection with the millennial market, which has become one of the travel industry’s fastest-growing segments.

Travel agents can use Espresso free of charge. They will continue to have access to CruiseMatch over the next few months while they become familiar with the new system.

Free training webinars are available through Espresso’s website, and cruise representatives from around the country will be offering four-hour seminars across the country through March.

Source: TravelAge West