CLIA Cruise Podcast

Andrew Turner from AE Expeditions shares his journey into his current role which initially started onshore in travel before moving into cruise. He also shares how the crossover from other types of holidays can be a great way to find customers who would love the expedition experience. Andrew also tells us more about achieving B-Corp accreditation AE Expeditions and what the guest experience looks like on board. Beyond the destinations it's also crucial to sell the on board experience.

Louise Craddock Oceania Cruises (Director of Sales UK & Ireland) shares her journey into her current role as well as an overview of the Oceania brand. Having been with Oceania Cruises for over 14 years her passion remains as she tells us more about what sets Oceania apart and how they have elevated what they offer their guests onboard and ashore. For those lucky to be joining us at CLIA conference they will get their first chance to catch a glimpse of their latest ship Oceania Vista which will also give agents a taste of what's to come in their upcoming ship Allura. She also has some exciting updates about shorter sailings which can be a great entry point for first time customers looking to experience Oceania. Join the Join the Trader Inside Oceania Cruises UK Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EXD1z6ZTg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Andy talks to Paul Melinis (APT Luxury River Cruises & Tours UK and Europe Managing Director. Paul shares the importance of developing new products and their ability to tune into what their guests are looking for. He also shares the exciting current transformation of their entertainment programme to provide more memorable moments and enhance the immersive experience. Paul also shares more details ahead of the christening of Godmother MS Estrela. For those who missed the news of them announcing the UK Godmother Travel Weekly's Lucy Huxley we can't wait to attend.

Episode 130 - Andy Talks with Jos Dewing from explorearth.com by CLIA

Andy Harmers talks with Quark Expeditions National Strategic Key Account (Manager UK & Ireland) Sarah Schlederer as she shares exciting details about their new tagline as well as some great insights for agents looking to increase their expedition training and sales. Andy also shares some of his experiences from when he sailed with Quark Expedtions last year.

Andy Harmer speaks to Celebrity Cruises, Giles Hawke (VP & MD UK, Ireland & EMEA) as he teases what's coming for their latest edge class ship Excel, the importance of business partners and their “Destination Unknown” incentive launched in conjunction with Virgin Atlantic & Royal Caribbean. Giles shares what his 18 months have been like since he joined Celebrity Cruises.

As part of CLIA UK & Ireland's cruise week interviews with leading cruise line executive's Andy Harmer sat down Katie Harber AE Expeditions, Senior Business Development Manager for the UK to find out her favourite cruise destination.

Andy Harmer speaks to Peter Shanks Managing Director UK for Silversea. Peter shares his journey in the cruise industry that took him to being at Silversea. He also shares his belief of the transformation of how cruise is now seen as a mainstream holiday option, the way people's interest in cruising has changed and how people talk about cruise. Hear more about what's happening at Silversea including their Sea and Land Taste programme (S.A.L.T) available on their ships Moon, Dawn, Nova & Ray plus what's next!

Andy Harmer talks to industry veteran Bernie Carter about expedition cruising and the real buzz it's experiencing as well as sharing what took him to his role at Atlas Voyages. Bernie shares a huge excitement at being involved in creating a unique experience for guests and how the importance of being able to educate travel partners via events from CLIA as well as a plethora of resources and contacts for agents to utilise.

Andy (CLIA UK MD) and Tom Mahoney (Cunard Director, UK Sales) sit down in the Queens Room aboard the newly launched Queen Anne to talk new spaces, wellness, shows, dining options and the importance of Cunard's relationship with the travel trade. Tom talks about how the Queen Anne launching has attracted lots of loyal Cunard Royalists as well as many New to Cruise passengers. Also hear what the plans are for Queen Anne going forward, Andy does his best to get some secrets about what's happening at the Christening ceremony.

CLIA MD for UK & Ireland Andy Harmer sat down with Rob Scott Vice President for Sales and Marketing & Brand for P&O Cruises to discuss how as a brand they have evolved and putting the holiday maker at the center of their strategy. Rob also shares exciting details about existing and upcoming partnerships including Gary Barlow, Wallace, and Gromit. 2024 and beyond looks to be a hugely exciting time for agents looking to learn more about P&O cruises as well as how agents can get on board ships to see the amazing ships for themselves.

Andy Harmer talks with Eithne Williamson (Vice President of Princess Cruises UK and Europe). Eithne tells as all about her journey into her current role at Princess Cruises whom she joined in 2022 as well as what makes Princess Cruises special. As an exciting 2024 builds up speed Eithne has lots to share about "Princess Medallion" as well as what's instore for guests on "Sun Princess" when she sets sail in the Med in February. Listen out for exciting news about agents looking to see "Sun Princess" in the UK.

CLIA favourite Janet Parton joins Andy Harmer to talk about her new role of VP Business Development UK, Europe & Australiaat Celestyal Cruise as she makes her switch from River Cruise back to the Ocean Cruises sector. After recent announcments from Celestyal Cruises in terms of fleet updates and also new exciting destinations as well as switching to an all year round cruising company.

Andy Harmer caught up with Shane Riley (vice-president of international sales and marketing) for Virgin Voyages in Portugal to talk about the importance of the UK, Virgin Voyages returning with a ship to the UK, expanding across Europe, Australia and beyond with unique itineraries. Importance of the trade as well as his feelings of having what he describes as “pinch myself moments” from when he first joined Virgin Voyages. 2023 has been a bumper year for award wins which looks set to continue in 2024.

Learn more about the range of CLIA Member Cruise Lines available to UK & Ireland customers as Adele Foster talks with Andy Harmer.

Andy Harmer caught up with Luke Smith (Director, International Sales) for Carnival Cruise Line during recent travel agent event. Luke shares his views on the importance of attending agents events as well as exciting updates to the current fleet. Plus, find out more about the first Seacoaster (BOLT) which is set to launch passengers into new speeds never experienced at sea.

In this episode Andy Harmer talks with Royal Caribbean's Head of Sales UK, Torey Kings-Hodkin as she shares some great insight into her role, what separates the different classes of ships across the Royal Caribbean fleet and shares some experiences from her recent Fjords cruise. Looking ahead to 2024 with two ships set to welcome passengers in 2024 there's lots to find out and Tori reveals what they can look forward to, she also mentions their Perfect Day private island which brings the experience on the ship onto the island.

As they prepare to celebrate their landmark year Andy Harmer talks with Richard Downs (Chairman & Founder) and Dave Mills (Chief Commercial Officer) about the journey from selling Ski holidays and how they took the opportunity to become one of the largest cruise selling agencies in the UK from their launch back in the late 90s.

Andy Harmer talks with Nabil Maillard, Ponant cruises UK and Emerging Markets Sales Director about their ambitious plans in both the small and expedition sector as well as what they are doing in terms of sustainability as a brand.

This month our podcast goes Virgin Red as Andy Harmer is joined by SJ Walker and Luke Day from Virgin Voyages to hear about the brand, their super sprint to launching multiple ships and how they've been able to quickly adapt to sailor feedback to better train agent partners and improve the guest experience.

Andy Harmer talks to Antonio Paradiso Managing Director UK & Ireland about the importance of working with trade partnerships to MSC and his 16 years at MSC cruise and its expansion throughout the UK. He also gives us some insight into what he feels has been the secret to their success over the last few years as well the significant growth in attracting new to cruise and converting those to repeat cruisers.

Andy Harmer talks to Anna Perrott from Panache Cruises and finds out how a newspaper advert took her off the path towards professional golf and into the cruise industry. As well as sharing details about her current role as Head of Supplier Relations at Panache Cruises, Anna also shares what led her to co-found the working parent forum “Back in Time for Bed” which supports and raises awareness for anyone who may be struggling with the their work life balance.

Andy Harmer talks to Sarah Schlederer, Business Development Manager, UK & Ireland at Quark Expeditions. On this episode we find out about Sarah's Journey in the travel industry, she tells us about Quark Expeditions, where they operate and what they offer guests in the Polar regions including several first experiences for the industry. Quark's ships operating under 200 passengers to maximise the time in each destination allow them to visit locations not available to larger ships. Guests also experience unique experiences where no cruise will be the same due to nature being the tour guide which means guests are taken where they will experience the most exciting visit under the guidance of the expedition team. Also how to recognise potential crossover clients for the expedition experience.

Andy Harmer talks to Linda Springmann - Director, Cruise & Maritime Marketing for Port of Seattle tells us more about her exciting role and her journey into the cruise industry. Linda also shares what attracts cruise passengers as a hero destination to visit Seattle, as well as the economic importance of cruise to businesses.

In the second of four live recordings from the CLIA Forum 2022 to feature on the CLIA Cruise Podcast we hear from CLIA Europe Director General, Marie-Caroline Laurent, who shared industry updates and how CLIA has been working across the industry in partnership with cruise lines, ports and other travel partners.

In the first of four live recordings to feature on the CLIA Cruise Podcast we hear the insights and views from an inspiring line-up of cruise leaders recorded during the CLIA Forum 222 panel discussion on diversity and inclusion. The panel contained Edwina Lonsdale, owner of Mundy Cruising, Jo Rzymowska, Celebrity Cruises' EMEA vice-president, Ryan Uhl, chief strategy officer at Mail Metro Media, Shane Lewis-Riley, Virgin Voyages' vice-president of international sales and was moderated by Lucy Huxley, Editor-in-chief of the Travel Weekly Group.

If you've ever wanted to hear more about Maritime UK this episode is your perfect chance as Andy Harmer speaks to their Chief Executive, Ben Murray at Maritime UK about his journey into the maritime industry. He tells us more about the vast range of activity undertaken by Maritime UK, and how they work with partners and throughout maritime. He also shares more about the upcoming events and resources available throughout this month's Maritime UK week.

Andy Harmer caught up with our next two guests at Seatrade. Philip Holliday from the Port Authority of New South Wales gives an overview of his journey into his role and the huge importance of NSW in terms of the wide range of ships they can accommodate and also how the port is moving forward in terms of its sustainability including shore power. Kevin O'Sullivan from New Zealand Cruise Association discusses the importance of cruise tourism, and the mix of experiences available when cruising around New Zealand.

Craig Forsyth from CLIA joined the christening sailing of Swan Hellenic's brand new ship SH Vega. While onboard he caught up with Mario Bounas their Vice President Global Marketing to hear how agents can best sell their product, the growth of the market, why they've chosen to describe themselves as boutique and also what the experience is like across their fleet.

Andy Harmer caught up with our next two guests at Seatrade. Rosana Morillo discusses the importance of cruise tourism as part of the overall tourism strategy of the Balearic Islands. In her interview, Marie-Caroline Laurent gives an overview of CLIA's role in Europe and the importance of driving forward the sustainability agenda in the cruise industry.

As the international cruise community came together at Seatrade in Miami after two years, we're bringing you a series of interviews with cruise industry leaders where they share valuable insights into their cruise priorities now and for the future, as well as major industry announcements. CLIA's Andy Harmer, Managing Director, CLIA UK & Ireland is joined by Heather Wyatt, Strategic Communications, to host this special series of CLIA podcasts.

Fresh off the stage at our CLIA Luxury Residential event, Andy Harmer sat down to talk with Chris Austin (Chief Sales Officer) for Explora Journeys. As the excitement around Explora Journeys joining the luxury cruise market builds this is a podcast you really don't want to miss.

Andy Harmer speaks with Travel Journalist, Sara Macefield and Royal Caribbean VP EMEA, Ben Bouldin this month to hear what's coming up in the Summer of 2022 in the cruise industry. Looking ahead at destinations that look to be hot with cruisers, plus looking ahead at several new ships set to join many cruise line fleets.

Andy Harmer is joined by cruise and travel journalist Sara Macefield who talks about the importance of destination when matching the right cruise with the right customer. Plus Jo Ruxton, Founder of Ocean Generation joins us courtesy of Aurora Expeditions to tell us more about her role in conservation and the impacts of single use plastics.

Andy Harmer and Lucy Huxley spoke to Susana Romero, Director, Galapagos Sales & Communication, at Celebrity Cruises, and also Robin West, Vice President, Expedition Operations & Planning as part of our Virtual Luxury & Expedition Showcase back in April 2021. A great listen for those wanting to learn more about the amazing experiences when cruising in the Galapagos Islands, plus what agents need to know about selling the Antarctic & Arctic.

Andy Harmer (CLIA) talks with Bud Darr from MSC Cruises about protocols, cruise experience changes, and the next steps, Olly Smith TV personality, Wine Expert & Food hero (P&O cruises), and Jo Rzymowska (Celebrity Cruises) talks more about their edge class ships.

Andy Harmer (CLIA) talks with Edwina Lonsdale (Mundy Cruising) to talk about the positive signs for the restarting of cruises. Brian Salerno (CLIA) shares how CLIA has participated in health protocols, onboard experiences, and what's next for the industry. Also, Tarn Pilkington (Aurora Expeditions) joins us all the way from New Zealand to take us through his career and some of the highlights available to guests during their cruises.

We hear from three representatives from the CLIA UK & Ireland Trade engagement working group. Luke Smith (Carnival Cruise Line), Claire Stirrup (Celebrity Cruises) and Geoff Ridgeon (Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines).They share the importance of travel agents for the Cruise industry how cruise lines are working to provide them with the tools they need as experts as the voice to consumers looking for guidance as we head to a return for cruise.

On our first CLIA Cruise Podcast Andy is joined by our UK Trade Janet Parton (Avalon Waterways), Iain Powell (Saga Cruises), Shane Riley (Virgin Voyages), Steve Williams (MSC Cruises).

For our 100th Podcast, we have gathered the cruise line Chairs of our Executive Committee, River Cruise Working Group, Expedition Working Group and Trade Engagement Working Group for a special look back at 2020 and a look ahead to what 2021 will hold.

Ben Bouldin, Sonia Limbrick, and Sam Ballard discuss lessons learnt from 2020 and silver linings in 2021.

In our October 2020 podcast, Andy Harmer talks to Rebekah Keeler (Head of Cruise ABP), Alison Earnshaw (MD World Travel Holdings UK) & Jo Rzymowska (VP & MD EMEA Celebrity Cruises).

CLIA's Andy Harmer talks Luxury Cruise with Travel Weekly's Hollie-Rae Brader, Panache Cruises' James Cole, and Seabourn's Lynn Narraway in this weeks CLIA Cruise Podcast.

We have assembled a great line up of Cruise Veterans and cruise experts as Andy Harmer hears from Angie Redhead (Head of Cruise Liverpool), Gary Peters (Editor - Cruise Trade News), and Giles Hawke (Managing Director Avalon Waterways). Listen to find out what they see for the future of cruise and also their updates on the current situation.

CLIA's Andy Harmer talks to well-known figures in the Cruise industry hearing from Peter Shanks (Silversea), Edwina Lonsdale (Mundy Cruising) plus journalist Sara Macefield.

Andy Harmer talks to Randy Durband Chief Executive Officer from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. He shares an overview of what the GSTC does and how they work with the private and public sectors.

CLIA's Andy Harmer and Travel Weekly's Lucy Huxley talk through some of the best bits from this month's Luxury Cruise Webcast. We hear from a CLIA Headline Speaker favourite, a trio of experts on our Luxury Cruise Panel and much more. Watch the full webcasts over on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/CLIAEurope/

CLIA's Andy Harmer and Travel Weekly's Lucy Huxley talk through some of the best bits from this month's Expedition Cruise Webcast. We heard from a Captain live at sea, one of our most popular expedition cruise speakers plus other expedition cruise and destination experts. Watch the full webcasts over on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/CLIAEurope/

Joining Andy Harmer via weblink this week, APT River Cruises' Jess Shelton-Agar discusses the impacts on the river sector, while Angie Redhead from Liverpool City Council sits down with Andy to talk about the ever-changing cruising landscape. You can hear more of Jess in our first-ever River Cruise Webcast - our virtual conference available now on Facebook and Youtube: https://youtu.be/8EHJPgF-5Js

This week we focus on the river cruise sector as Andy is joined via video link with Avalon Waterways' Giles Hawke, followed by AmaWaterways' Jamie Loizou to discuss how the industry is continuing to evolve and adapt to challenges, and how they are maintaining communication with travel agents.

AmaWaterways' Marnie Tarsinos, MSC's Steve Williams and Uniworld's Angela Sloan update us on how they've been adapting to the major changes seen throughout the industry in both the ocean and river sectors.