| Industry awards finalists revealed

Cruise specialist agents
dominate the contenders for
the International Cruise Council
Australasia’s annual awards.
MORE than 20 agencies and 16 consultants
are in the running for next month’s 2012
Cruise Industry Awards.
The 15 awards across seven categories will
be announced at a gala dinner at the Hilton
Sydney on 09 Feb, with approximately 500
industry members expected to attend.
The five finalists for Cruise Agency of the
Year in Australia are Ozcruising (Philip ACT),
Cruiseabout (Turramurra NSW), Our Vacation
Centre (Gaven Qld), Phil Hoffmann Travel
(Glenelg SA) and Bicton Travel (Bicton WA).
Agents from two of these agencies —
Cruiseabout’s Robert Watson and Our Vacation
Centre’s Avlon Murphy — are finalists for
Australia’s Cruise Consultant of the Year, along
with Lance Mumby from Cruise Express
(Balmain NSW), Martine Hero from Clean
Cruising (Brisbane) and Gina Maitland from
Alpha Travel (Claremont WA).
Ozcruising’s Courtney Vidotto is also
shortlisted for the Rising Star award, up
against Emma Blacklow from RACT Travelworld
(Collins St, Hobart) and Stacey Skinner from
Jetset Travel (Warrnambool, Victoria).
In the New Zealand awards, Cruise Agency of
the Year finalists include Cruise Republic
(Auckland), Lets Cruise (Auckland),
Cruiseabout (Parnell), Cruiseabout (Tauranga)
and House of Travel (Papamoa).
Three of these agencies also have candidates
for Cruise Consultant of the Year, including
Cruise Republic’s Sarah Goldfinch, Lets Cruise’s
Mark Smith and Cruiseabout Parnell’s Debbie
Christian, as well as Cruiseabout Ponsonby’s Sue
Grigg and Boutique Mondo Travel’s Lisa Roebuck.
Rising Star hopefuls include Andrew Lennox from
Cruiseabout (Wellington), William Henderson,
from Infinity Holidays (Auckland) and Danielle
Hennessy from House of Travel (Motueka).
Australian Agency Promotion of the Year
finalists are Harvey World Travel (Umina NSW)
for “Voyager of the Seas Sampler Cruise”,
Harvey World Travel (Surrey Hills, Victoria) for
“Cruise Sale 2012”, Travelrite International
(Balwyn, Victoria) for “Film Festival at Sea”,
Travelworld (Carindale Qld) for “Cruising to
Social Media Success”, and Just Cruises
(Brisbane) for “We’ve Got the Spirit Sale”.
The New Zealand promotion winner will be
either iCruise’s “September iCruise Month” or
The Private Travel Company’s “The Healthy
Living Show”.
Network Promotion of the Year (Australasia)
finalists are Cruiseabout (Australia) for
“Choose your cruise”, Flight Centre (Australia)
for “Unbeatable cruise sale”, Mondo Travel
(New Zealand) for “Let’s talk cruising with
Jackie” and United Travel & Harvey World
Travel (New Zealand) for “2012 Cruise Expo”.