The industry celebrated the best of the cruise industry at the 22nd annual Cruise Industry Awards (AKA the CLIAs) in Sydney hosted by the Cruise Lines International Association
CLIA Australasia md Joel Katz says this year’s awards reflected an increasingly diverse agent community in Australia and New Zealand.
“We can see new faces and first-time winners in this year’s awards, which is a sign of the fresh talent emerging from within an expanded CLIA membership,” says Katz who also acknowledged the well-established achievers in the Australasian cruise community.
“The cruise industry is incredibly grateful for the passion and professionalism shown by all our travel agent members, and we congratulate all the award winners and finalists for their role in cruising’s global success,” he added.
The evening, sponsored by Visit Qatar, also included performances by Sydney’s renowned Brent Street performing arts school. The group staged a Prince-themed showcase, in a nod to NCL’s new Revolution, said to be ‘the first-ever at-sea Prince tribute show’. And kicking off the Royal Caribbean after-party was The Wiggles (yes, you read that correctly), a nod to the cruise line’s collab with the kids’ entertainers.
Top Kiwi winners on the night included Natasha Warfield of Toussaint & Turner Travel Associates who was awarded New Zealand Cruise Consultant of the Year, while Rising Star New Zealand went to an ‘absolutely thrilled’ Melissa Duder, House of Travel Taupo
CLIA’s New Zealand Cruise Broker of the Year was jointly awarded to Mondo Travel’s Robert Schroder and Michelle Downey from Bucket List Travel
House of Travel Kapiti Coast took home New Zealand’s Single Location Cruise Agency of the Year (and our vote for best victory dance).
And a special mention to First Travel Group’s Kylie Crouch who was a finalist in the cruise champion Australasia category.
. . . Hall of Fame
One of the night’s biggest winners was P&O Cruises’ chief commercial officer Stuart Allison, who was inducted into the industry’s Hall of Fame. Allison, now based in the UK, was recognised as being a driving force behind the expansion and success of the cruise industry in Australasia.
