Australasia’s leading cruise specialists were recognised last weekend at the milestone 20th Cruise Industry Awards in Sydney.
Conducted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia and attended by some 500 people, the gala ceremony saw 18 awards presented to travel agencies and individuals from across Australia and New Zealand.
The COVID pandemic had put a pause on the event for the past three years, with the last gathering in 2019. Saturday night’s event, dubbed ‘The CLIAs’ was an opportunity for cruise line personnel and travel advisors to come together in one venue and celebrate the region’s ongoing cruise reawakening and honour its top performers.
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“Travel agents across our region have shown incredible determination over recent years, and these awards help celebrate their resilience and their passion for cruising as we sail into a new era,” said Joel Katz, CLIA Managing Director Australasia.
“As cruising builds on its global renaissance, these awards pay thanks to the Australasian travel trade for its part in our success.”
The event was also a platform to induct The CLIA Hall of Fame Award, bestowed this year upon the recently retired Steve Odell. Odell’s cruise industry career has spanned 40 years and multiple cruise lines, including the launch of Silversea Cruises into this market and the start-up of operation for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in this market. Odell retired last December from his leadership role as Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
Other award honourees included Robyn Sinfield of Home Travel Company in Tasmania who was awarded Cruise Champion, Australia Megan Catterall of itravel, who was back in the winner’s circle in 2022 as Mobile Agent of the Year, Australia. The Sydney travel advisor won Agency Promotion of the Year in 2019; and Bicton Travel in Western Australia, named Small Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia. Bruce Piper, Publisher of Business Publishing Group was also spotlighted with the Cruise Champion – Media award.
Award categories had numerous finalists and sponsors, with their details and the winners highlighted in the below list.
Cruise Industry Awards Winners & Finalists
Rising Star, Australia
Rising Star award recognises an individual who has worked as a travel consultant for less than five years and who has shown tremendous achievements in their efforts to learn about and promote cruise holidays.
Winner: Clarees Purkiss, Cruise Travel Centre Green Hills
Finalists: Madeleine McIntyre, My Cruises; Anita Dearle, Champagne Travel Mandurah; Sarah Lee, Clean Cruising; and Paige Cameron, My Cruises
Sponsored by: Princess Cruises
Rising Star, New Zealand
Rising Star award recognises an individual who has worked as a travel consultant for less than five years and who has shown tremendous achievements in their efforts to learn about and promote cruise holidays.
Winner: Marise Barrett, helloworld Strandon
Marise Barrett has been a Travel Consultant at helloworld Strandon for nearly two years.
Finalists: Hayley Thompson, YOU Travel Manly; and Erin Graham, Zest4Travel
Sponsored by: Cunard
Mobile Agent of the Year, Australia
This award recognises a home-based or mobile consultant/broker who has demonstrated success, willingness to learn, resilience and determination in their field, has a proven sales focus and clear demonstration of industry engagement.
Winner: Megan Catterall, itravel
Megan Catterall has been a Business Travel Manager with itravel for almost five years and has 38 years of experience in the travel industry. Catterall was also the first person in Australia to get a 100% grade on the CLIA Masters Program.
Finalists: Rose Febo, TravelManagers Australia; Sarah Webster, Wayfinder Travel & Cruise; Mark Spurway, MTA – Mobile Travel Agents; and Karryn Bartlett, TravelManagers Australia
Sponsored by: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Broker of the Year, New Zealand
This award recognises a home-based or mobile consultant/broker who has demonstrated success, willingness to learn, resilience and determination in their field, has a proven sales focus and clear demonstration of industry engagement.
Winner: Sharon O’Brien, Live Breathe Travel
With over 30 years of experience across the leisure and corporate sector, Sharon brings a fresh approach to travel management, with authentic and enriching travel offers beyond the ordinary. Based in Auckland, her personal touch to each bespoke itinerary makes her an award-winning hit with clients.
Finalists: Kristin Edgeworth, 360 Edge Travel; Lucy Marshall, The Travel Brokers; and Denise Fowler, The Travel Brokers
Sponsored by: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Cruise Consultant of the Year, Australia
This award recognises a cruise consultant who has demonstrated success in their field, shows resilience and determination in a challenging environment, has a proven sales focus, shows dedication to their learning and self-improvement, and has a clear demonstration of industry engagement.
Winner: Sheron Konig, Travel Associates Rockhampton
Sheron Konig has more than 42 years of experience in the travel industry, offering her clients not only a cheerful disposition but expert knowledge. Konig has been with Travel Associates Rockhampton for more than 17 years.
Finalists: Amanda Taylor, My Cruises; Ingrid Hay, New Farm Travel; Martine Hero, Clean Cruising; and Jorden Krause, My Cruises
Sponsored by: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Cruise Consultant of the Year, New Zealand
This award recognises a cruise consultant who has demonstrated success in their field, shows resilience and determination in a challenging environment, has a proven sales focus, shows dedication to their learning and self-improvement, and has a clear demonstration of industry engagement.
Winner: Janine Mallon, Zest4Travel
Travel specialist and owner-operator of Zest for Travel, Janine has 20 years of retail travel experience – with a particular passion is food and wine travel – leading a team of travel specialists in Dunedin, NZ, who collectively boast more than 60 years of retail travel experience across customised getaways.
Finalists: Kay Rogers, YOU Travel Bethlehem; Dennis Payne, House of Travel Orewa; Kay Paulsen, cruisedeals.co.nz; and Lynne Bennett, World Travellers Whangarei
Sponsored by: P&O Cruises Australia
Cruise Champion, Australasia
This award recognises an individual who actively champions on behalf of the cruise industry. Nominees are asked to explain and provide examples of how they embody CLIA’s mission of educating, advocating and promoting on behalf of the cruise industry in ways that extend beyond a dales focus and into the winder interests of the Australasian cruise community.
Winner: Robyn Sinfield, Home Travel Company
Co-owner of Home Travel Company and CLIA Cruise Master, Robyn has over 40 years’ experience as a cruise and travel advisor. She has travelled to 120 countries and was recognised as the Best Mobile Cruise Consultant for Australia (CLIA 2020).
Finalists: Barry Downs, The Big Cruise Podcast; and Belle Goldie, itravel
Sponsored by: Explora Journeys
Cruise Line Champion, Australasia
This award recognises an individual cruise line sales representative who has actively championed the Australasian cruise community and provided exceptional support for CLIA’s travel agent membership.
Winner: Shaun Kavanagh, Princess Cruises
Shaun Kavanagh has more than 12 years of travel industry experience, seven of those working for Princess Cruises as its Business Development Manager and Key Account Manager.
Finalists: Christine Oliver, Holland America Line; and Mel Watson, Silversea Cruises
Sponsored by: MTA Mobile Travel Agents
Small Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia
This award recognises a travel agency that has demonstrated innovation and agility in a challenging business environment; shown continued relevance and enhanced profile through a strategic approach to marketing cruise travel and fostering cruise travel sales; elevated their agents’ industry knowledge and expertise through comprehensive educational opportunities and driven a reinvigoration of cruise travel sales and volume.
Winner: Bicton Travel
Carole Smethurst and her son Phil founded Perth’s leading luxury travel and cruise specialist in 1998. Together they create bespoke travel experiences for the luxury traveller with Carole being inducted into the CLIA Cruise Hall of Fame in 2016 for her service to the cruise industry.
Finalists: Main Beach Travel; Champagne Travel Mandurah and itravel Carlingford
Sponsored by: Oceania Cruises
Large Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia
This award recognises a travel agency that has demonstrated innovation and agility in a challenging business environment; shown continued relevance and enhanced profile through a strategic approach to marketing cruise travel and fostering cruise travel sales; elevated their agents’ industry knowledge and expertise through comprehensive educational opportunities and driven a reinvigoration of cruise travel sales and volume.
Winner: Ignite Travel Group
Queensland-based Ignite Travel Group is a multi-channelled travel marketing corporation parent to My Holiday Centre (MHC), RewardsCorp and Holiday Exclusives with 14 destination-specific brands under the MHC division providing full-service holiday packages with hand-select inclusions via exclusive partnerships.
Finalists: Goldman Travel Group; Hunter Travel Group; RAA Travel; Andrew Jones Travel and Phil Hoffmann Travel
Sponsored by: Celebrity Cruises
