Royal Caribbean cruises 2017: Could YOU be the social-savvy winner of THIS competition
ROYAL CARIBBEAN International is offering an Instagram "Intern-ship of the Seas" job this summer in a three-week assignment that will see the successful candidate travel three oceans on three ships with all food, drink, accommodation, flights and expenses covered by Royal Caribbean and a £3,000 bonus on top.
A first for the cruise industry, the Instagram "job" comes after research reveals the platform has redefined the way people book holidays.
Applications are being taken strictly via Instagram to find an "extraordinary explorer" to capture the unique stories, destinations and experiences of a cruise holiday.
The research behind the decision comes from a poll commissioned by Royal Caribbean to find out whether or not social media is overtaking traditional channels of inspiration such as holiday brochures and comparison sites.
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The poll of 2,000 UK and Ireland consumers revealed that nearly half (48 per cent) of holidaymakers rely on social media for inspiration when booking a holiday and more than a third (34 per cent) claim they wouldn't even consider booking a trip without first consulting social media.
Research also confirms that half (51 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds rely completely on social media when researching holidays and a third (37 per cent) of holidaymakers say that seeing their friends' bragging posts from abroad has encouraged them to book a trip.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) after seeing holiday snaps on social media has also encouraged a fifth of travellers to book the same holiday as their friends.
Royal Caribbean brings a bite of the big apple to the seas
Travel blogger Johnny Ward, who next month is set to become the youngest person to visit every country in the world, will select the winning candidate alongside a panel of expert judges including Travel Weekly Editor-in-Chief, Lucy Huxley and Royal Caribbean's Managing Director UK & Ireland, Ben Bouldin.
Social media is integral to how we live our lives and book our holidays
The judges will mark applications against strict criteria to select the successful candidate. Submissions will be judged on a number of elements including visual appeal, storytelling ability, originality and inspirational qualities.
"This research proves that social media is integral to how we live our lives and book our holidays," says Johnny.
"Royal Caribbean has cleverly used this insight in their new Intern-Ship role and is hunting for a storytelling extraordinaire that can use Instagram to inspire others to explore the world.
"I have created a living out of my travel stories but social media is positively teeming with budding storytellers out there looking for a big break."
Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean's Managing Director for UK and Ireland, said: "With 25 of the world's most innovative and spectacular ships visiting over 250 destinations worldwide every year, our guests can experience multiple destinations and cultures, all during the one holiday.
"Our cruise holidays are filled with extraordinary moments and we want to find a talented storyteller who can help us capture those unique moments and share them through one of the most inspirational social media platforms."
Applicants who think they have what it takes to capture pictures that stand out and inspire holidaymakers can apply for Royal Caribbean's "Intern-Ship" by sharing their most extraordinary travel photo on Instagram, tagging @RoyalCaribbeanUK and #ExtraordinaryExplorer.
