Celebrity Cruises launched its Pamper a Friend incentive in May for agents to nominate someone who deserved a treat, as the line revealed details about The Spa on new ship Celebrity Edge. Here, we highlight three of the many moving nominations.
Samantha Wilkinson, Delmar World, Wrexham
A Tui agent who made regular 140-mile round-trip drives to support her ex colleague is among those to have won the Celebrity Edge spa incentive.
Rachel Cunningham (pictured left), who works for Tui in Huddersfield, was nominated by her friend of 17 years and fellow agent Samantha Wilkinson (pictured right).
When Samantha was going through “a rough time” in her personal life, Rachel called her every day and regularly drove from her Yorkshire town to Chester to see her friend.
Samantha, now of Wrexham-based agency Delmar World, said: “Rachel was shocked when I told her. I had to explain to her why she had been nominated. I don’t know what I would have done without her.
“I have been through a particularly rough time and she has been there every step of the way with me.”
Chesney Miller, Barrhead Travel, Southampton
Barrhead Travel agent Chesney Miller nominated his mum (both pictured) for a pampering after she battled through an “extremely difficult year” as her husband’s health deteriorated.
Theresa Wallace was forced to become a carer for husband David after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years ago.
The full-time pharmacy worker, 59, of Southampton, is now the primary earner in the household with her husband unable to work. To make matters worse, Theresa lost her father to cancer in April.
Chesney, 26, who works at Barrhead Travel’s Southampton branch, said: “My mum is really happy she has won the Celebrity Edge spa incentive. To be able to treat herself is massive, because all her money goes into our household. It is a nice treat for her.”
Angela Taylor, Travel Counsellors, Scone
The daughter of a Travel Counsellors home-based agent was nominated for Celebrity’s spa treatment for the way she has brought up her five-year-old son since she became a mum at 16.
Leah Taylor Murray, now 21, was put forward by mum Angela Taylor (pictured), a Travel Counsellors agent based in Scone, Scotland.
Angela, 40, said: “Leah said from day one that she did not want benefits and worked full time with the council after Charlie was born. She had to pay nursery fees without the help of child support. I’m so proud of her.”
Angela said she wanted her daughter to be pampered as she “forgets about herself” when looking after her son. “Leah was so excited when I told her about her winning. She’s never won anything, so it was a lovely surprise,” Angela added.
The winning agents
These are the 20 agents who successfully nominated someone deserving to win a pampering prize:
Janice Abbot-Black
Megan Barker
Hayley Burnell
Nicola Cowan
Susan Dogan
Loretta Edge
Katie Gill
Kirsty Hood
Vanya Jenkins
Dawn Macintosh
Chesney Miller
Leanne Mudd
Estelle Pitman
Gina Robertson
Annette Shelkin
Angela Taylor
Grace Wallace
Ruth White
Samantha Wilkinson
Stephanie Winfield