Cruise.co.uk recognised suppliers from across the industry at its annual awards ceremony.
The event was held during the agency’s 19th conference in Obertauern, Austria and was attended by more than 30 senior industry delegates.
Hosted by cruise.co.uk’s chief executive Chris Gardner and managing director Tony Andrews, the award winners were partly chosen by the agency’s internal team and partly by its customer database.
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P&O Cruises was the “standout winner”, the agency said, picking up awards for Best Reward Scheme, Best Booking System and Most Helpful Cruise Line.
Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises were jointly awarded the Best Mainstream Cruise Line gong, with Azamara crowned Best Luxury Cruise Line and Seabourn the Best Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line.
MSC Cruises, for which cruise.co.uk claimed it was the number one UK travel agent in 2023, was awarded Most Improved cruise line, while the line’s account manager Amanda Skilbeck was the only individual winner, taking home the Best Account Manager award.
In a new addition to the award line-up, cruise.co.uk’s sister brands selected their top partners. Seascanner.co.uk recognised MSC Cruises and Above & Beyond Luxury Cruises chose Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Gardner said: “The relationships we hold with our cruise line partners are what drives the success of our business. It’s fitting to have so many of them together with us as we mark another positive 12 months.
“Equally, benchmarking customer satisfaction is critical to all suppliers, allowing us to evolve collectively and improve both our product and service offerings.”
Andrews added: “The support we receive from our suppliers and their respective account manages is outstanding; it allows us to showcase the huge variety of sailings available across the industry.
“It’s no wonder passenger numbers continue to grow, both from repeat guests and those trialling cruise for the first time.”
Winners:
- Best Mainstream Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean/Princess Cruises
- Best Luxury Cruise Line: Azamara
- Best Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line: Seabourn
- Most Improved: MSC Cruises
- Above & Beyond Partner Award Winner: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Seascanner.co.uk Partner Award: MSC Cruises
- Best Reward Scheme: P&O Cruises
- Best Trading Partner: Princess Cruises
- Best Booking System: P&O Cruises
- Best Account Manager: MSC Cruises, Amanda Skilbeck
- Most Helpful Cruise Line: P&O Cruises