VIKING has made National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) history, becoming the first-ever cruise line to win both the ‘Most Popular Ocean Cruise Operator’ and ‘Most Popular River Cruise Operator’ in the same year. The Basel-based company took out the river award for the first time on Sat in Brisbane, having...
VIKING has made National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) history, becoming the first-ever cruise line to win both the ‘Most Popular Ocean Cruise Operator’ and ‘Most Popular River Cruise Operator’ in the same year.
The Basel-based company took out the river award for the first time on Sat in Brisbane, having also won the ocean award for the third time in a row earlier on in the night.
Viking bested Uniworld Boutique River Cruises to win the river gong, with the Los Angeles-based line having won the past two years in a row.
Also up for the river award were AmaWaterways, APT, Avalon Waterways, Emerald, and Tauck.
Viking beat out stiff competition in the ocean category, including Celebrity Cruises, Crystal, HX, MSC Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Quark Expeditions, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, and Virgin.
However Viking was not the only winner from last year to defend its crown, with Barbara Baron again named Most Outstanding Sales Executive.
Other winners on the night included Clean Cruising’s Samantha Renvoye, who was named Most Outstanding Travel Consultant Leisure.
Renvoye made it a double, having won Cruise Consultant of the Year at the CLIA Awards earlier this year (CW 02 Oct).
Meanwhile, Helloworld Travel’s wholesale cruise network Cruiseco won Most Outstanding Wholesaler – Product/Service, while Expedition Cruise Specialists was given the People’s Choice Award, voted by the public as their favourite accredited travel agent.
Cruise Weekly’s sister title Travel Daily is publishing a special NTIA edition later today – subscribe HERE now if you have not already. MS
Pictured: The Viking team.
