This year’s Clia Conference is now just a month away. Natasha Salmon catches up with key speakers lined up for the Southampton event
Rival cruise lines will unite at this year’s Clia Conference as industry bosses focus on agents and cruise lines working together to grow the market.
Bosses of the two biggest ocean lines, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, will discuss the importance of unity in attracting new-to-cruise customers and retaining repeat clients.
The Clia Conference will be held on May 24-26 with speakers including Royal Caribbean’s Gavin Smith, Carnival Cruise Line’s Christine Duffy and AmaWaterways’ Rudi Schreiner.
Cruise community
Clia president Cindy D’Aoust will also give a speech, focusing on “togetherness”, “community” and the value of agents.
She said: “Agents are invaluable to the sector and provide customers with the advice and wealth of knowledge they need to book a cruise that suits them.”
UK cruise passenger numbers hit a record 1.9 million in 2016.
D’Aoust said: “It is by working together and with the continued support of our agent partners that we see industry growth continue.”
Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, a former Clia president and chief executive, said “mutual” understanding across the sector would increase the industry’s focus on agents.
“The UK is such an important market for us and we see more and more Brits travelling to the US to cruise with us, especially to the Caribbean. Our core focus in the UK is on selling cruises through travel partners.”
With 69 ships on order across the industry, Gavin Smith, Royal Caribbean senior vice-president international, will stress how “vital” agents are in converting land-based holidaymakers to grow the cruise market.
He said he will also discuss the importance of the destination, which remains “key to unlocking” and attracting new customers.
“The challenge isn’t just in filling new ships but also ensuring we have the port infrastructure in place to respond to the growth and innovation that we as an industry are all investing in,” he said.
River view
River cruise passengers grew by 11% in 2016 and Rudi Schreiner, president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, said new vessels – and agents having the chance to experience them – were important.
“Without the support of agents, we would not have achieved such fantastic results in bringing more people to cruise,” he said.
What’s in store?
The event will be hosted by Clia director Andy Harmer alongside Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley.
• May 24: On board the newly refurbished Queen Mary 2, plus trade fair in the evening.
• May 25: Conference sessions and a gala dinner at the Hilton at The Ageas Bowl.
• May 26: Royal’s Navigator of the Seas to host agents.
Look who’s speaking
Rudi Schreiner president and co-owner, AmaWaterways
In 2002 Schreiner teamed up with Jimmy Murphy and Kristin Karst to found Amadeus Waterways, now AmaWaterways. The company sails in Europe, Africa and Asia, and opened a UK office last year.
Gavin Smith international senior vice‑president, Royal Caribbean Cruises
Based in Australia and appointed in 2008, Smith leads a team of more than 500 employees and oversees all commercial activities outside of North America and China for Royal’s three brands.
Christine Duffy president, Carnival Cruise Line
Duffy spent 10 years at the Maritz Travel Company, six of them as president and chief executive. In 2011 she became president and chief executive of Clia, before joining Carnival Cruise Line as president in February 2015.
Cindy D’Aoust president and chief executive, Clia
Based at the Clia offices in Washington, D’Aoust oversees the management of global operations and the Clia leadership teams. She joined Clia in 2014 as vice-president for membership and operations