CLIA CRUISE AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORIES 

Cruise Agency of the Year (Single Location/Brand) – Australia / New Zealand

This award recognises the top single-location/branded travel agency in both Australia and New Zealand which has shown excellence across multiple areas including: 

• Demonstrating innovation and agility in a thriving cruise market 
• Showing continued relevance and enhanced profile through a strategic approach to marketing cruise travel and fostering cruise travel sales 
• Elevating their agents’ industry knowledge and expertise through comprehensive educational opportunities, including CLIA training
• Driving growth in cruise travel sales and volume

Cruise Agency of the Year (Multi-Location/Brand) – Australasia

This award recognises the top multi-location/branded travel agency or group in Australasia which has shown excellence across multiple areas including:

• Demonstrating innovation and agility in a thriving cruise market 
• Showing continued relevance and enhanced profile through a strategic approach to marketing cruise travel and fostering cruise travel sales 
• Elevating their agents’ industry knowledge and expertise through comprehensive educational opportunities, including CLIA training
• Driving growth in cruise travel sales and volume

Note: This award category does not include retail group networks or consortia. 

Online Cruise Agency of the Year – Australasia

This award recognises the top Online Travel Agency (OTA) in Australasia which has shown excellence across multiple areas including:

• Demonstrating innovation and agility in their approach to promoting cruise travel online and growing cruise travel sales by leveraging the various online technologies and channels available
• Showing continued relevance and enhanced profile through a strategic approach to marketing cruise travel and fostering cruise travel sales
• Elevating their agents’ industry knowledge and expertise through comprehensive educational opportunities, including CLIA training.
• Driving growth in cruise travel sales and volume

Note: For the purpose of this award, an Online Travel Agency (OTA) is one that has a web-based platform or service that allows customers to book cruises through the internet. OTAs provide customers with the ability to search and compare prices, access a wide range of options, secure inventory and transact online 24/7 without the need to directly interact with the travel provider   

 CLIA TRAVEL AGENT/INDIVIDUAL AWARD CATEGORIES 

Nominations for the CLIA Travel Agent/Individual award categories are open to CLIA cruise lines, peer or self-nomination with justification required. CLIA Australasia will then identify the finalists based on nomination criteria as well as CLIA training & engagement. Finalists in each category will need to provide a final written submission for the judges, who will determine the winner.

Cruise Consultant of the Year – Australia / New Zealand 

This award recognises a cruise consultant who has demonstrated success in their field and shows strength, determination and creativity in a thriving cruise market. They have a proven sales focus and have shown dedication to learning, self-improvement, and industry engagement.

For the purpose of this award, a consultant is considered an employee of a retail Travel Agency who may work either inside a store location, from home, or in a hybrid role.

Home-Based (Mobile) Cruise Consultant / Broker of the Year - Australia / New Zealand

This award recognises a home-based or mobile consultant/broker who has demonstrated success in their field and shows strength, determination and creativity in a thriving cruise market. They have a proven sales focus and have shown dedication to learning, self-improvement, and industry engagement. 

Note: A home-based (mobile) agent or broker is an independent operator or sole proprietor responsible for marketing to their own database. It does not include an employee of a registered retail Travel Agency who works from home. To be eligible for nomination in this category, the mobile agent/broker must also hold their own individual CLIA membership.

Rising Star – Australia / New Zealand

This award recognises a consultant in Australia and New Zealand who has worked in the industry for less than three years and who has shown tremendous achievements in this time. Nominees for Rising Star must be able to demonstrate a commitment to developing their cruise knowledge and sale skills and be able to outline their achievements and accomplishments that have contributed to their success. CLIA Certification points and engagement will be considered in determining finalists. 

 CLIA PROMOTION AWARD CATEGORIES 

The following marketing/promotional award categories are open to peer or self-nomination. Information provided in the original submission will go straight to the judges for final review, should the entry be selected as a finalist.

Agency / Agent Cruise Promotion of the Year Australasia

Submissions must be based on consumer cruise promotions undertaken by a travel agency or an individual travel agent during the last 18 months that feature CLIA Cruise Line Member product and will be judged on the overall strategy and success of a specific cruise campaign. Submissions will be judged by an independent panel based on the information provided with the original submission, according to the following criteria:

• Objectives of the campaign
• Campaign duration
• Overall planning
• Target Market
• Form of Promotion
• Creativity and Originality
• Results and how they were assessed
• Return on investment
• Supporting material

Network Cruise Promotion of the Year Australasia

Submissions must be based on consumer cruise promotions undertaken by a travel agency network or cluster of multiple stores during the last 18 months that feature CLIA Cruise Line Member product and will be judged on the overall strategy and success of a specific cruise campaign. Submissions will be judged by an independent panel based on the information provided with the original submission, according to the following criteria: 

• Objectives of the campaign
• Campaign duration
• Overall planning
• Target Market
• Form of Promotion
• Creativity and Originality
• Results and how they were assessed
• Return on investment
• Supporting material

Cruise Month Promotion of the Year Australasia

Submissions must be based on a consumer promotion by any travel agency or individual member of CLIA during the 2025 Cruise Month campaign. Submissions will be judged by an independent panel based on the information provided with the original submission, according to the following criteria:  

• Objectives of the campaign
• Creativity and Originality
• Use of various promotional channels
• Effort to promote cruising as a holiday choice and stimulate cruise bookings
• Use of official CLIA Cruise Month branding
• Results and how they were assessed
• Supporting Material

 CLIA MEDIA AWARD 

The media award is open for self-nomination. Information provided in the original submission will go straight to the judges for final review, should the entry be selected as a finalist.

Media Award

This award recognises the high standards of cruise journalism in print, broadcast or digital media across Australia and New Zealand. Submission of stories, videos, podcasts or broadcasts that showcase cruising will be accepted from freelance and staff journalists from mainstream, online and trade media outlets. 

To be eligible for this award category, the article or broadcast must:

• Showcase the cruising experience
• Highlight the innovations of the cruise industry in areas such as the guest experience, technology, sustainability, or destination stewardship.
• Demonstrate creativity and originality
• Comprise at least 800 words (in the case of print/written)
• Have been published/released during 2025
• Focus primarily on CLIA member cruise line(s)

*Only one submission per journalist will be accepted. Advertorial and sponsored content cannot be nominated.