`Being recognised by our peers is a fantastic achievement’

Alison Earnshaw, managing director of World Travel Holdings, Andy Harmer director at CLIA UK & Ireland, Sarah Wikevand managing director of ROL Cruise and Jessica Vincent from cruise.co.uk Picture: ROL CRUISE (Image: ROL Cruise)

Colchester-based ROL Cruise, the independent cruise retailer, has celebrated the arrival of 2019 with an array of honours in industry awards.

They include two wins during January and two commendations in addition to a shortlisting into the industry’s highly-prized TTG Top 50, which assesses the country’s best travel agencies.

At the UK Cruise Awards, which took place at ceremony at London’s Shakespeare Globe Theatre, ROL Cruise was announced as winners of the Outstanding Contribution Award for Cunard.

The ceremony also saw the team receive a Highly Commended award for Partnership Development with Seabourn, and for P&O Cruises’ Outstanding Contribution Award.

ROL Cruise’s success at the UK Cruise Awards followed a win at the Celebrity Cruises’ Travel Agent Appreciation Awards, where the Colchester-based cruise specialist was named winner of the Best Performer in Suite Class category.

In addition, ROL Cruise has been shortlisted for three categories in the 2019 Wave Awards; for Best Advertising, PR or Marketing Campaign, Best Non-Retail Agent and Favourite Cruise Travel Agent.

The TTG Top 50 shortlisting completes the accolades for January, with judging interviews now underway, ahead of a gala ceremony in Birmingham on April 24 where the final 50 will be revealed.

Managing diredtor of ROL Cruise Sarah Wikevand said: “What a way to start 2019: winning these awards and being recognised by our peers is a fantastic achievement. It’s a great boost for the team and something they should all be very proud of.

“We strive to provide a service where customers will recommend us and continue to return year after year and so to be recognised by our industry in not just one, but three awards programmes, is a great reflection of the team’s hard work. I would like to thank everyone for making these awards possible; we look forward to what the year ahead holds after such an amazing start.”