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.

What does Freddie Mercury and the cruise industry have in common? Well, if you attended this year's CLIA Conference, you'd know the answer. It’s not unusual for a celebrity to make an appearance at a cruise event. But when that celebrity passed away in 1991, heads are bound to turn. Enter Jonny Peat, senior commercial manager – cruise at The Advantage Travel Partnership, who dazzled attendees when he arrived at Southampton’s Guildhall dressed in Freddie’s iconic outfit from the I Want to Break Free music video. Now, Peat joins the Cruise Corner podcast to discuss the story behind the stockings, as well as the consortium’s strong start to 2025 and its upcoming cruise conference onboard Sky Princess this October.

Take a look at your personal email inbox. How many of the emails you received today are from brands you have a genuine interest in and how many have you actually opened and engaged with? If the answer is ‘hardly any’ then you’re not alone. 

Our inboxes have become congested with brand emails selling everything from Netflix subscriptions to holiday packages, creating a headache for marketers who are trying to reach their audience with something they may actually want to engage with, like a discounted cruise to the Caribbean, for example.

Helping cruise lines and agents cut through the noise is marketing automation platform Force24. CEO and founder Adam Oldfield and Cruise Trade News’ head of digital Richard Seal join the podcast to explain why harnessing personalisation can make your email marketing stand out from the crowd #ad #spon

From Aston Martin to Faberge, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has turned to the power of partnerships to entice land-based luxury travellers to the world of cruising. Will Payne (editor, Cruise Trade News) is joined by the ultra-luxury line's senior vice president of international and consumer sales, Steve Odell, and vice president of UK and Ireland sales, Paul Beale, to see whether this has helped broaden the line’s customer base and to get the latest on its newest cruise ship, Seven Seas Prestige. The trio also chat about their careers to date to offer insight into how to grow a career in cruise, and find out if Paul got to drive away with the Aston Martin he so proudly displayed at the 2025 CLIA Conference... 

We may know an awful lot about cruise, but podcast hosting? Not so much. That’s not going to stop us though! Join hosts Jack Carter (group editor, Cruise Trade News & World of Cruising) and Will Payne (editor, Cruise Trade News) as they share a taste of what’s to come in series one of our brand-new podcast Cruise Corner. Jack and Will also cast their eyes over the cruise news that’s caught their attention over the last couple of weeks and look ahead to the exciting run of guest interviews in the Cruise Corner podcast pipeline.