Celebrity Cruises has recognised the efforts of the trade at its fifth annual Travel Agent Appreciation Awards.
Winners included Trailfinders, Thomas Cook and Kuoni, which were honoured for their efforts and achievements in 2018 – the year Celebrity Edge launched.
The 2,900 ship was Celebrity’s first new vessel in six years.
The awards, hosted by Jo Rzymowska, vice-president and managing director for the UK, Ireland and Asia, and Gavin Smith, senior vice president for parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, were held at East Wintergarden in London’s Canary Wharf.
More than 40 trade partners attended and a total of 13 awards were handed out at the ceremony.
Trailfinders bagged two awards – top performing high street agency and best performer (Galapagos) – and Trailfinders Ireland won top agency in the south of Ireland.
Oasis Travel scooped the top agency award for Northern Ireland.
The top cruise specialist award went to Iglu Cruise.
UK & Ireland sales director Claire Stirrup said: “The Travel Agent Appreciation Awards have become a firm fixture of the New Year calendar and the perfect way for Celebrity Cruises to celebrate the triumphs of travel agents in 2018.
“It was a record-breaking year for us and that’s thanks to the hard work of our trade partners and their never-ending support for Celebrity Cruises’ holidays at sea.
“Picking the winners has been incredibly tough, I want to share my sincere congratulations with every single one.”
The winners of Celebrity Cruises’ Travel Agent Appreciation Awards include:
* Rising star – Stewart Travel
* Best performer, Celebrity Edge – Thomas Cook
* Best performer, Galapagos – Trailfinders
* Best performer in suite class – ROL Cruise
* Top agency, Northern Ireland – Oasis Travel
* Top agency , Southern Ireland – Trailfinders Ireland
* Top consortia – Ireland – Worldchoice Ireland
* Top performing high street agency – Trailfinders
* Top performing high street agency (highly commended) – Hays Travel
* Top consortia, UK – The Travel Network Group (TTNG)
* Top homeworking agency – Travel Counsellors
* Top cruise specialist – Iglu Cruise
* Top cruise specialist for growth – Cruise 118
* Top luxury agency – Kuoni
Celebrity Cruises is hosting its largest programme of agent ship visits this year, including visits to see its Edge-class ships, ahead of the launch of Celebrity Apex in the UK in 2020.