Cruise Lines International Association has onboarded its first 2025 CLIA Masters Program intake with 60 top advisors across Australasia and Asia working towards the association’s highest certification as CLIA LIVE also recently wrapped a two-day seminar in Melbourne.
This year’s six-week Masters course is held in March and September and is designed to help travel advisors stand out as cruise specialists and move beyond mainstream selling.
This intake includes 24 ‘rising stars’ sponsored by Royal Caribbean – a selection of top-performing advisors nominated by multiple agency brands – who were hosted at the 2025 CLIA Cruise Industry Awards and will sail on a future RCI cruise.
CLIA Head of Training & Development Peter Kollar said the Masters Program is available to agent members in Australasia and Asia who have achieved Ambassador status.
“Masters candidates already have among the best cruise knowledge in the industry, so this course is designed to take them further to focus on business development and creating new strategies to build their client base and sales,” he said.
“Fewer than two per cent of retail travel agents are CLIA Masters, which means they stand out from the crowd as holders of our highest professional development qualification.”
After completing the online course and assignment, successful participants receive 100 accreditation points and a higher search ranking on the Australasia website as Cruise Masters.
Member agents can register their interest at info-aus@cruising.org.
CLIA LIVE 2025 is underway
The CLIA LIVE program also recently launched for 2025 with the first of eight agent training events held in Melbourne from 19–20 March.
The two-day seminar features the latest initiatives and product updates from ocean, river and expedition cruise lines and attendees earn 30 points per day.
Other events will be held through to May in Brisbane, Adelaide, Christchurch, Perth, Gold Coast, Auckland and Sydney as part of the largest program of its type ever offered.
More than 700 tickets have been booked for this year’s events – sold out in all cities except the Gold Coast.
For more info, visit cruising.org.au
