Comment: Ship showcases propel a buoyant cruise sector

If you’re a fan of cruise ship tracking apps, you’re in for a treat this week.

On the south coast, delegates at the Clia Conference will have the opportunity to experience no less than five ships, including P&O Cruises’ latest addition, Arvia. Not to be outdone, the north also got its taste of the sector with the naming celebrations for Ambassador Cruise Line’s second ship Ambition at the Port of Tyne on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in London, Seabourn will be showing off its expedition ship Seabourn Venture as the exploration sector goes from strength to strength.

These ship showcases are fundamental to agents’ understanding of the nuances between cruise products, and invariably result in increased sales for those who attend. This was certainly clear from agency bosses I joined on an Avalon Waterways event on the Danube last week, who hailed river lines’ efforts to get the trade on board. And it will be central to the activity at this weekend’s Clia Conference, with 65% of nearly 600 agent delegates indicating they are new to the sector.

I vividly remember the association’s first conference in Dover in 2007 – when the Passenger Shipping Association’s agents’ scheme rebranded from Psara to the Association of Cruise Experts (Ace) and around 200 agents heard about the sector’s potential for growth. Fast forward 16 years and the transformation of both product and trade engagement is remarkable.

I can’t wait to join Clia managing director Andy Harmer on stage to introduce another generation of agents to this lucrative and booming industry.