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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says that perhaps rather like my waist line after a wonderful cruise, it has an expanded line-up for its upcoming Virtual Cruise Forum, with the event said to be offering insights from key international leaders and regional executives steering the cruise industry’s recovery.

Registrations for the event are also reported to have reached 600 people, said to be equal to CLIA’s biggest Cruise360 Australasia conference in 2019.

Being held on Friday 27 August the Virtual Cruise Forum is in lieu of this year’s Cruise360 event, with news speakers added to the line-up include:

  • Angie Stephen – Vice President Asia Pacific, Royal Caribbean;
  • Ben Angell – Vice President & Managing Director APAC Norwegian Cruise Line; and
  • Andy Harmer – CLIA Managing Director UK & Ireland.

Other key speakers already announced include

  • Kelly Craighead, CLIA Global President and CEO;
  • Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises;
  • Ellen Bettridge, President & CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection;
  • Jason Montague, President & CEO, Regent Seven Seas Cruises;
  • Colleen McDaniel, Editor in Chief, Cruise Critic;
  • Annie Chang, Director, Cruise Development, Singapore Tourism Board;
  • Gavin Smith, CLIA Australasia Chair and VP & MD Australia & New Zealand, Royal Caribbean;
  • Sture Myrmell, CLIA Advocacy Committee Chair and President, Carnival Australia;
  • Sarina Bratton, Chairman Asia Pacific, Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions; and
  • Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Unfortunately, CLIA’s Virtual Cruise Forum is only open to all CLIA Australasia and Asia members and stakeholders and at no charge and will feature live panel discussions and interviews, with topics will include:-

  • A State of the Industry update on cruising’s road to recovery;
  • How the cruise sector is working to rebuild confidence;
  • How travel agents can achieve new relevance as cruise specialists; and
  • How close collaborations have resulted in successful resumptions of operations internationally.

Also unfortunately, while it is a stellar line up with some great topics and speakers, it appears that the really hot topics of: the return of cruising to Australia; when it might happen; what the required protocols might be; the Federal Government’s lack of progress; and another hot topic being whether vaccinations will be required to cruise, are not on the agenda, but who knows they may be and perhaps some gems of wisdom regarding those topics may appear.

CLIA’s Virtual Cruise Forum will run from 10am to 4pm AEST (12pm to 6pm NZST) on Friday August 27, 2021 and if you are a CLIA member then you can register at Virtual Cruise Forum, but if not, so sorry, but like Cinderella, no, sadly you cannot go to the ball.

A report by John Alwyn-Jones, Cruise Editor, Global Travel Media and Global Cruise News.