Cruise Corner

In the first episode of the new-look Cruise Corner Podcast, co-hosts Jack Carter and Will Payne take a look back at the whirlwind start to the year for World of Cruising and Cruise Trade News. The duo also discuss January's CTN Investigates, which looks at the potential impact recent rulings by the CMA and ASA on price transparency could have on the cruise industry. Virgin Voyages UK sales director SJ Walker also joins the podcast to discuss the brand's recent takeover of Cruise Trade News and how her glittering career in cruise has driven her to lead one of the industry's most exciting operators.

There’s no doubt about it: touring holidays are having a moment. The hunger for immersive escapes that combine unbridled adventure with comfort and convenience has seen companies like Titan Travel step up to the plate, with its getaways for every type of traveller.In our third and final instalment of our special Titan Travel series, Shane Lewis-Riley explains why 2026 is the perfect time for agents to get behind this lucrative sector.

As holidaymakers become more price-conscious and value-driven, the role of all-inclusive cruising has never been more important for UK agents. In this episode of the Cruise Corner Podcast, host Rashmi Narayan is joined by Sarah Whitehouse, training delivery manager for Marella Cruises, to explore how the trade can better communicate the true value of cruise. The pair also discuss why Marella’s all-inclusive proposition continues to resonate with customers, how tools such as the line’s AI cruise-price calculator can support agent sales conversations, and what the brand’s recent successes mean for the trade.

In the second instalment of our three-part special with Titan Travel, the operator’s director of trade distribution, Shane Lewis-Riley, talks to co-host Rashmi Narayan about delivering "true value for time" for avid explorers and how a cruise can complement a pre- or post-sailing tour. The episode also dives deeper into touring for first-timers, key selling points for travel agents and some of the highlights from Titan's portfolio of global tours.

In the first instalment of our three part special with Titan Travel, co-host Will Payne sits down with the operator's director of trade distribution, Shane Lewis-Riley, to discuss his plans to utilise his vast experience in the cruise sector to position Titan as the go-to adventure operator for UK holidaymakers in 2026. The duo also discuss Lewis-Riley's first year at the company, his recent trip to Kenya with Titan, and his advice for junior travel executives looking to grow their careers in cruise.

The team behind the Cruise Corner Podcast sit down to reflect on their standout moments from 2025 and share what’s on the horizon for 2026. Co-hosts Will Payne and Jack Carter also welcome new host Rashmi Narayan, who offers a sneak peek at her first episodes, coming soon. The trio are joined by Cruise Corner producer Shelby Woods, who provides a behind-the-scenes perspective and shares practical tips for agents and cruise professionals looking to launch their own podcasts.

Ambassador Cruise Line turned heads when it announced the launch of its first-ever Caribbean fly-cruise season at the turn of the year. So, what can the trade expect from the line's foray across the pond? In the latest episode of the Cruise Corner Podcast, co-host Jack Carter sits down with interim head of trade Karen Cameron and business development executive Jade Cheadle to lift the lid on the new deployment, while taking a closer look at the vessel spearheading this venture, Renaissance. This episode is sponsored by Ambassador Cruise Line.

From crossing the River Dart on a small passenger ferry to get to school everyday to leading one of the world's most exciting luxury cruise lines, Anna Nash's career trajectory was written in the stars and discovered in the seas.On this week's episode of the Cruise Corner, co-host Will Payne sits down with the Explora Journeys president to take a look back at her tenure in luxury travel, and how her beginnings in the south west set her on a path to becoming a key driving force behind the MSC Group's foray into the high-end market. Nash also offers insight into the imminent launch of Explora Journeys' third vessel, Explora III, while outlining the company's plans to work with its trade partners to ensure the ship hits the high seas with a splash when it makes its debut next summer.

What does it take to maintain a successful career in travel for nearly 40 years? For AmaWaterways director of sales UK and Europe Andrea Stafford, a can-do attitude, an eagerness to learn and enough energy to sustain multiple late nights and early mornings. In this week's episode of the Cruise Corner Podcast, Stafford chats with co-host Will Payne about her glittering four-decade tenure in travel, which started in 1986 with Lunn Polly (now known as TUI). Payne and Stafford also discuss the imminent launch of AmaWaterways' AmaSofia on the Danube and the Rhine and AmaMaya on the Mekong, as well as Stafford's highlights of 2025 and her predictions for the cruise sector in 2026. 

Co-host Will Payne sits down with Scenic and Emerald Cruises head of sales Jonathan Davies to discuss the company’s standout year, the power of product diversification, and why travel agents remain central to the brand’s success story. Fresh from a stellar 12 months that saw Scenic report a 35 per cent year-on-year rise in trade sales, Davies reflects on his journey since stepping into the role in 2023. He also reveals how the brand’s growing river and ocean portfolios – showcased perfectly when Scenic Gem met Scenic Eclipse in Honfleur – continue to offer agents unique opportunities to sell across sectors.

Juggling parenting with running the sales operation of one of the world's biggest cruise lines isn't for everyone. But for Princess Cruises' UK and Ireland sales director Hayley Moore, Teams meetings and quarterly reports go hand in hand with Thomas the Tank Engine and tea parties In this week's episode of the Cruise Corner, co-host Will Payne sits down with Moore to discuss the challenges of balancing the two roles, and her advice for her fellow parents in the cruise industry. We also take a look back at the special Princess Cruises edition of Cruise Trade News February, and what the line has in store for its travel agent partners in the coming months amid the launch of Star Princess.

Join us live from the 2025 Cruise Summit, as hosts Jack Carter and Will Payne catch up with speakers and delegates to get the inside scoop on this year's key takeaways. The annual event delved into the importance of the "critical" mature market to the future of cruise, how podcasts can be utilised as an effective marketing tool and why the likes of TikTok and Meta are crucial to enticing new customers. We also welcome our new co-host, Rashmi Narayan, who talks to HX's (Hurtigruten Expeditions) Mark Walter about the importance of knowing your customer to ensure repeat bookings and higher conversions. 

After two decades at Carnival House, which came to an end following the abrupt closure of Carnival Cruise Line’s UK office, Luke Smith finds himself at the beginning of a new adventure.“It was a really great period of my life and I was lucky to work with people I consider family,” he says.The new VP sales UK & EMEA for Crystal sits down with Cruise Corner co-host Jack Carter to discuss leadership, how agents can find value in the ultra-luxury market and his excitement to work for a cruise line with a start-up culture.

"The UK’s biggest cruise event” is back and bigger than ever (no, really). More than 3,000 agents have signed up for the CLIA Cruise Week campaign, which sees the industry come together for seven days of activations and events, all designed to champion cruise and drive post-summer bookings.A variety of promotional activities, including customer-facing events, internal training, ship visits and social media campaigns will combine to support the largest-ever coordinated cross-agent cruise gathering in Cruise Week history.Cruise Corner co-host Jack Carter sits down with Andy Harmer, managing director of CLIA UK & Ireland, and Lynn Narraway, Seabourn's VP of UK & EMEA, to find out what agents can expect from this year’s event and why it’s never been more important to shout about cruise.

From scoring in the FA Cup on national television to leading the line for HX’s global sales operation, Nathaniel Sherborne’s career has had more twists and turns than prime Lionel Messi. Nathaniel sits down with Cruise Corner co-host Jack Carter to explore how being a leader in the changing room enabled him to flourish in a sales environment, before revealing how HX is attempting to make the expedition product less ‘scary’ for the wider travel trade.

When Anthony Daniels took the helm of Ponant’s UK & Ireland operations just over a year ago, he was tasked with making waves in the luxury expedition market. Fifteen months on, the French line has boosted its UK market share and is on the brink of securing its own ATOL licence – but Daniels is far from finished. With both luxury and expedition cruising among the industry’s fastest-growing sectors, Ponant’s position is enviable. This week’s Cruise Corner Podcast is a family affair as Daniels sits down with Cruise Trade News editor (and son) Will Payne to reveal how he plans to take the brand to even greater heights. The conversation also dives into Daniels’ career journey, his advice for up-and-coming cruise professionals, and what’s next for Ponant in the months ahead.  

With its growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships and ability to transport travellers to furthest reaches of the globe, the expedition sector is perfectly poised to help agents attract a new profile of client.In this special episode of the Cruise Corner, recorded in Svalbard at the CLIA Expedition Showcase last month, the association’s UK and Ireland managing director Andy Harmer OBE provides a closer look at this market segment, providing tips on how the trade can capitalise on this fast-evolving sector.Harmer also reflects on CLIA’s first-ever overseas showcase, which comprised business sessions, agent speed dating and ship visits with six operators, before casting his eye to the year ahead as CLIA prepares for the 2025 Cruise Week in September and the CLIA Winter Ball in December. 

As AI becomes more prevalent, companies are racing to understand how it can give them a strategic advantage over their competitors, but what ethical quandaries does it raise for marketers?In the third and final instalment of our interview series with Force24 CEO Adam Oldfield, we cast our gaze to the ever-evolving AI landscape, predicting how it will influence the ways cruise lines and travel agents communicate with consumers.We’re also joined by Cruise Trade News’ head of digital Richard Seal who examines how AI and automation can streamline the role of a marketer, giving them more time to focus on the work that really matters. 

It’s been four months since Michelle Daniels was unveiled as VIVA Cruises’ new UK country manager, a role that came with clear remit: to grow the river line’s market share in the market from 3% to 10%.Daniels, who has previously held roles with A-Rosa River Cruises as sales director and Light Blue travel as commercial director, wasted no time in spearheading VIVA’s expansion.Fuelled by positive engagement at the CLIA RiverView Conference in Budapest in March, the launch of VIVA Enjoy on the Rhine and plans to launch a new ship on the Seine next year, Daniels is enthused by the trade’s reaction.Daniels sits down with Cruise Corner host Jack Carter to explore how the trade will help the line achieve its ambitious growth targets while examining how unexpected demographic shifts are opening up a new line of business for the sector.

Welcome to part two of our interview with Force24 CEO and founder Adam Oldfield. Last time around Adam introduced us to the concept of personalisation, revealing how travel agents can use it to amplify their email marketing. But what does genuine personalisation actually look like and how should it evolve as customers get closer to the booking page? Download the next instalment of this mini-series to find out.