CLIA announces line-up for Cruise Month Spotlight Sessions

September 25, 2025 – More than 20 cruise lines will take the stage next month at Cruise Lines International Association’s new Spotlight Sessions on river cruising and expedition cruising – and limited places are still available for travel agents to take part in a live studio audience.

CLIA has confirmed the line-up for the Spotlight Sessions, which will be recorded live in Sydney on 7 October as part of this year’s Cruise Month initiatives.

• The river cruise Spotlight Session will involve: AmaWaterways (Steve Richards), APT (Rashelle Thompson), A-ROSA River Cruises (Birgit Eisbrenner), Avalon Waterways (Darren Sinclair), CroisiEurope Cruises (Susan Frisby-Smith), Emerald Cruises (Cathy Page), Riverside Luxury Cruises (Susie Coughlin), Scenic (Amanda Todd), Tauck (Helen Eves), and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises (Alice Ager).
• The expedition cruise Spotlight Session will involve: Albatros Expeditions (Craig Upshall), Aurora Expeditions (Steve McLaughlin), Coral Expeditions (Andrew Thwaites), Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Lauren McAlpine), Heritage Expeditions (Robert Halfpenny), HX Expeditions (Gareth Coakley), PONANT EXPLORATIONS & Paul Gauguin Cruises (Julie Golding), Quark Expeditions (Chris Catanzariti), Scenic (Julie Jones), Silversea (Jo Bingham), and Swan Hellenic (Beth Stolyar).

The Spotlight Session recordings will be used to create new learning resources for CLIA travel agent members, focused on two of the most dynamic areas of international cruising. Each of the sessions will involve practical insight from individual cruise line representatives, as well as panel discussions on the rapidly developing opportunities available in these sectors.

Panel discussions during the river cruise Spotlight Session will discuss “Selling the River Difference: How to match the right client to the right river brand” and “Beyond the Ship: Unlocking River Destinations and Experiences”. Panel discussions during the expedition cruise Spotlight Session will discuss “Inside Expedition Cruising: How to sell the ships, the style, and the spirit of adventure” and “Exploring the Ends of the Earth: Matching Clients to Expedition Destinations”.

Audience members will be able to shape the conversation, ask questions and contribute to the recordings. The Spotlight Sessions will then be added to CLIA’s professional development library as ongoing resources for members.

CLIA members can register their interest in attending the Spotlight Sessions here.