Agents will be able to visit three new ships during the Association of Cruise Experts’ (ACE) Cruise Convention next year.
The event is being held in the QEII cruise terminal in Southampton from June 24-26, and will include business seminars, the main conference, a cruise trade fair and ship visits.
There will be four ships in port over the two days – Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and three new vessels: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic, fresh out of the shipyard in France, and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse and P&O Cruises’ Azura, both of which are being launched in April 2010.
ACE director Flo Powell said more than 600 ACE agents are expected to take part in the 2010 Cruise Convention, making it the biggest yet.
She said: “It will provide an opportunity for agents specialising in cruise to hear the latest news and trends within the industry, visit the most modern cruise ships, attend business sessions and hear from key industry leaders.”
She added the number of British cruisers is expected to increase by 6.5% in 2010 to 1.65 million, despite the economic climate, and the Cruise Convention would help agents increase their business to take advantage of this growth.