Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has made a number of announcements and updates at its annual conference in Southampton
Over 800 delegates from across the trade heard from Andy Harmer, managing director UK & Ireland, who confirmed many events that are available for the trade to participate in.
The second cohort of CLIA Cruise Champions will graduate on June 26th, 2026, in Birmingham, following the successful completion of their expedition cruise or river cruise programmes. Applications for the class of 2027 will then open in September.
A Luxury Cruise Summit will be held on September 4th, 2026, in Southampton. The event will comprise a guided ship visit of Oceania Marina, business sessions onboard and a networking dinner the previous evening.
A River Cruise Forum in Manchester on October 6th, 2026, and a Yacht & Small Ship Forum in Birmingham on October 7th, 2026, have been arranged. Both will have a full day of business sessions and product training. Delegates can visit two of the participating ships; Queen Anne, Cunard; Britannia, P&O Cruises; Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Cruises; MSC Virtuosa, MSC Cruises; Oceania Insignia, Oceania Cruises; and Seven Seas Grandeur, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
CLIA has announced a 'Seattle Awaits' fam trip for 2026. The trip has been arranged in partnership with the Port of Seattle, Visit Seattle, Virgin Atlantic and Delta, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Travel Weekly, it will have a destination theme and is aimed at senior sales, commercial and product managers.
In addition, the conference also saw over 60 colleagues from across the cruise industry take part in a New Forest bike ride, in aid of the Family Holiday Charity. It marked the highest ever turnout of riders, with participants cycling either 100km, 50km or 20km and a target to raise £10,000.
Andy Harmer commented, "The range of initiatives announced today underlines our ambition to make 2026 our most impactful year yet for trade engagement. Whether via ship visits, specialist training, networking opportunities or flagship events, we're continuing to invest in helping agents develop their expertise and unlock new sales opportunities across every cruise sector."
