March 2026
My Kind of Cruise Sees 200% Leap in Annual Sales
www.nitravelnews.com
THE online cruise booking company reports a 200% rise in sales as well as having more bookings in a month than its entire first year. My Kind of Cruise allows consumers to search, compare and book their cruise holidays in one place online.
In response to growing demand and required support, My Kind of Cruise launched their home- working division in 2025 allowing customers to access support when booking their cruise holiday. Sefton Monk, My Kind of Cruise CEO, said,
“Although we thought our online bookings might have dipped when we launched homeworking, it has actually created a brand-new market for us. Our customers appreciate our homeworking team’s support and expertise.”
Sefton Monk talks on what is selling well for My Kind of Cruise: “Florida is one the most popular departure locations with Gen-Z and Millennials; they prefer to book flights for themselves to get a better deal and be more in-control. Our Gen X and older customers prefer a packaged holiday either by us or directly from the cruise line. Southampton is a super strong port for us with all demographics, followed by Barcelona. And our most popular destinations are the Mediterranean, Canaries and Norway.”
TRADE NEWS | 59
Hurtigruten Reports 75% Surge in UK Revenue Year- on-Year
NI Travel News
Welcome Two
NI Travel News has welcomed two placement students to the Events Department. Mallaidh Skeffington and Megan Klein join us on their placement from Belfast Metropolitan College, where they are currently studying a Foundation Degree in Event Management. Mallaidh & Megan will be working alongside the Events Department in the planning of the Big Travel Trade Event and introducing them to the industry over the next few months! Mallaidh stated, “I am very thrilled to be completing my Events Management placement with NI travel news where I will be contributing towards the planning and delivery of their events. I have long been interested in event management and very inspired by how they bring community together, celebrate life and culture. By having the opportunity to do my events management placement at NI Travel news aligns with my long-
Placement Students
To The Events Department
term goals which is to create memorable experiences for people and hope that one day I can inspire someone like I was!” Megan also stated, ” I’m really excited for my placement with NI Travel news as this placement is giving me a great opportunity to apply my academic learning to a real life professional setting. I am looking forward to developing my skills and gaining hands-on experience. I am hoping to build my confidence and adapt to the workplace environment. I am someone who likes to stay organised and find efficient ways to get things done.” A massive good luck to both of you during your placement journey!
AmaWaterways Expands Sales Team to Support Growth and Strengthen Trade Engagement
AMAWATERWAYS have announced the growth of their sales team in a bid to help foster strong engagement with trade partners, and strengthen their presence within the travel trade. To support this growth, the cruise line is introducing a new team structure. Team members are set to move into newly created strategic roles, with two new regional Business Development Managers set to be recruited. From the 1st of April, the AmaWaterways sales team will change as follows: Anna Borrer – Currently holding the position of Business Development Manager for Southeast, Anna will take on the role of Business Development Manager, Key Accounts UK.
–
Rachel Simon and Joanne Smithies Rachel,
Development for
who is currently Business Manager
Midlands and Wales, and Joanne who is currently Business Development Manager for North of England, will both move into a
Southwest,
Strategic Account Manager roles, focusing on building strong, long-term partnerships with AmaWaterways’ major accounts. Katrina Latimer
– Katrina, currently
Business Development Manager for Northeast England, Scotland & Ireland, will also move into a Strategic Account Manager role with a focus on Retail and Consortia Head Offices
Speaking on the changes and new recruitment, Andrea Stafford, Sales Director of UK & Europe, stated, ““Our engagement with the travel trade is a top priority, and we’re constantly looking at ways to deliver the highest level of service, just as we do across our fleet.”
“These moves are not only great opportunities for our sales team to broaden their reach and develop professionally, but also a way for AmaWaterways to better connect with key markets and drive business growth. We’re excited to recruit the very best sales talent to join us as we continue to expand our product offering.”
THE Norwegian cruise line reports their strongest month of trading, reflecting the growing demand for their voyages and highlighting the UK as one of their strongest markets. UK agent-led bookings were a pillar in Hurtigruten’s UK strategy with trade booked revenue up over 80%. Hurtigruten’s partnership with Channel 4 saw the launch of the travel docu-series ‘Lorraine Kelly’s Norwegian Odyssey’ which also boosted brand awareness and uplifted consumer interest for Hurtigruten. Iain Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Hurtigruten said, “We’re delighted with the way the year has started in the UK, delivering our best ever month of trading.” He added, “The sustained investment the UK team has made in building brand awareness and working closely with our valued trade partners is clearly paying off. This momentum is being felt across the whole business and gives us real confidence as we move through the rest of the year.”
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