International Cruise Council Recognises Cruise Industry Leaders and Top Achievers

At a glittering event a Sydney’s Star City on Saturday evening, attended by over 270 cruise industry members, the International Cruise Council of Australasia recognised not only its top achievers, but also the presented the Neil Frazer Award for the Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to industry icon Captain Trevor Haworth, founder of Captain Cook Cruises. [pictured right with Mrs Haworth]

Captain Haworth regaled the audience with tales of his early years at sea including a Captain attempting to commit suicide with a Luger on a vessel called the Taiping, which became his first command as Master.

He also said that the vision for Captain Cook Cruises which he founded in 1970, came about as a result of a visit to New York, when he saw what Circle Line Cruises was doing there and he vowed to do similar in Sydney.

Captain Haworth told The Mole, “It has been a great privilege and honour to run a business in the best harbor in the world,” adding, “and no foreign flags with Aussie crews.”

During the evening MC’d by Channel 7’s Mark Beretta, a record number of travel agents and cruise industry supporters were recognised for their contribution to Australia and New Zealand’s growing cruise market, with following nominations from the Council’s 23 cruise line members, a total of 10 awards were presented.

Pictured: Carol Lian of Singapore Tourism Baord and Bob Ricikey of The Australian, just cruising along]

Council General Manager Brett Jardine thanked the winners for the role they had played in helping the cruise industry grow further in 2007, adding that nominations had been based not only on revenue, but also on growth, effort and commitment to the cruise industry – regardless of an agency’s size.

Award winners included:

Cruise Agency of the Year Australia – Best Cruises, Leederville, WA

Cruise Agency of the Year New Zealand – Cruises Direct, Auckland

Cruise Consultant of the Year in Australia – Natalie Jeffers, Firstclass.com.au, Sydney

[Pictured right: the winners with Mark Beretta]

Cruise Consultant of the Year in New Zealand – Steve Parker, iCruise, Remuera

New Member Agency Achievement Award in Australia – RACQ Travel, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland

New Member Agency Achievement Award in New Zealand – United Travel, Mairangi Bay

Consumer Promotion of the Year Australasia – iCruise, Remuera

Rising Star Award 2007 – Jacqui Nicholson, Port Travel, Port Melbourne

Neil Frazer Award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual – Captain Trevor Haworth, Captain Cook Cruises

Media Award 2007 – Susan Kurosawa, Travel & Indulgence Editor, The Australian, for her feature on QM2.

A Report by The Mole