CLIA Ocean Conference 2025 in Southampton: Ships, Learning and fun
I have been to the CLIA Conference more times than I can remember and, as a cruise specialist, it is firmly pinned to my calendar every year. I have toured ships, met cruise line teams, sat in conference sessions and caught up with colleagues from across the industry more times than I can count. But this year I decided it was time to write about it, because I haven't done since 2016. As it turned out, my CLIA experience in 2025 was about much more than the conference itself. My few days on the south coast began with something completely new, the very first CLIA Expedition Summit, and ended with a nostalgic return to a ship I first sailed on during her maiden voyage. Here is how it all unfolded.
Starting with expedition cruising: SH Diana
My CLIA week actually began a day early on 21 May, when I headed to Portsmouth for the brand new CLIA Expedition Summit, held onboard Swan Hellenic’s SH Diana.
I had booked the day because I am increasingly drawn to the world of expedition cruising. Earlier in the month I had visited an HX expedition ship in Hamburg, and I was keen to see another expedition product and compare how different lines approach this growing sector.
The summit programme included:
A guided tour of SH Vega
Expedition-focused sales training
Product updates from expedition operators
For a completely new addition to the CLIA schedule, it was an excellent and very practical day. It brought together the “headline” appeal of expedition cruising with the nuts and bolts of how we actually match these trips to the right customers.
And I have to say, starting my conference week with an expedition ship, surrounded by people who are equally obsessed with ice, wildlife and remote places, is a very good way to begin.
After the summit, I drove to Southampton, checked into my hotel for the next three nights, and then headed over to the Regent Seven Seas Cruises offices.
There, I joined a group of fellow Travel Counsellors for a presentation followed by a hosted dinner. It was the perfect warm-up act for the main event: an evening of excellent food, in-depth product insight, and time with both the Regent team and other Travel Counsellors before the conference officially kicked off.
Conference day: sessions, stories and a little bit of Wicked
Thursday 22 May marked the official start of the CLIA Conference, with the main sessions taking place at Southampton Guildhall.
The conference was hosted by Andy Harmer, Managing Director of CLIA UK & Ireland, and Lucy Huxley, Editor-in-Chief of Travel Weekly Group, and the programme brought together voices from right across the cruise industry.
One of the standout sessions featured BBC’s Ben Thompson interviewing a panel that included:
Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises
A young influencer experiencing their first cruise
West End performer Louise Dearman, who also appears in P&O Cruises’ Limelight Club
And then Louise sang “Defying Gravity”.
Because apparently a cruise conference is not complete until a West End star has casually belted out a showstopper from Wicked on stage. No complaints from me.
Across the day there were also sessions featuring senior figures from different lines, including:
Dondra Ritzenthaler of Azamara
Belinda Hindmarsh of Ponant
Steve Odell of Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises
It was a very useful reminder that while brands all talk about “cruise”, they all define and deliver it in their own very particular way.
Antarctica, expedition cruising and some incredible stories
One session that really stayed with me was the expedition cruise panel, featuring zoologist and wildlife presenter Billy Heaney alongside experts from Quark Expeditions and Ponant.
Billy’s stories about Antarctica and his experiences in polar regions were fascinating. His photographs and video footage gave us:
Towering icebergs
Swirling birdlife
Vast penguin colonies
Some remarkably close encounters with wildlife
His tales of leopard seals were particularly memorable, equal parts “wow” and “I may need a sit down and a hot drink now”.
Having started my CLIA week the day before by exploring SH Vega and learning more about expedition products, this panel felt like the perfect continuation. It brought the reality of those destinations to life and reinforced exactly why I find expedition travel so compelling.
And then there was the Drake Passage.
Let us just say I left with a renewed respect for anyone who has crossed it, and a mental note to pack very good sea legs.
An Olympic mindset? I wish
The afternoon keynote speaker was James Cracknell OBE, double Olympic gold medallist and endurance athlete.
He was genuinely inspirational.
His talk focused on resilience, determination and coping with major changes in life. It was the sort of session that makes you sit there thinking simultaneously “I must be more focused and disciplined” and “absolutely not, I am not getting into a rowing boat at 4 a.m.”
I came away thinking that adopting a little more of an Olympic mindset in everyday life probably would not hurt.
I also came away fairly certain that an actual Olympic rowing medal is not in my future.
The trade fair: 70 suppliers and one determined Travel Counsellor
Alongside the conference sessions, the trade fair brought together around 70 suppliers, with cruise lines and other travel partners all under one roof.
I tried my best to get around as many stands as possible. That is one of the things I love about CLIA: it is not just about sitting in a room listening to presentations, it is about:
Meeting the people behind the brands
Catching up with familiar faces from across the industry
Making new connections
Getting up-to-date on products, ships and itineraries
Cruising evolves constantly. With so many suppliers in one place, there is always something new to discover, whether that is a fresh itinerary, a refitted ship or a new style of experience to consider for the right customer.
It is intense, and my step count was very pleased with me by the end of the day, but it is always worthwhile.
Time to let our hair down: the Sailaway Party
After a full day of sessions and networking, the evening was all about the CLIA Sailaway Party, back at Southampton Guildhall.
This is, without question, the fun bit.
The entertainment line-up included tribute acts celebrating:
The Proclaimers
The Beatles
Take That
before Scott Mills took over DJ duties.
There was also an Oceania Cruises Champagne Bar, with the Oceania sales team gamely stepping behind the bar for the evening. This was every bit as entertaining as you might imagine.
It is one of those nights where the cruise industry suddenly feels very small. People you have spent the day talking business with are the same people you are dancing alongside later that evening, catching up with old colleagues, meeting new ones and laughing about shared experiences.
For me, that is a big part of what a CLIA Conference is about: yes, it is work, but it is also community.
Back onboard Britannia
Friday 23 May brought another highlight: a ship visit to P&O Cruises’ Britannia.
I first stepped onboard Britannia in March 2015 when she was brand new, so coming back almost ten years later, post-refurbishment, felt a little bit like visiting an old friend who has had a stylish makeover.
Britannia still feels more traditional than P&O Cruises’ newer ships, Iona and Arvia, but the refurbishment has:
Lightened the carpets and furnishings
Freshened up public spaces
Given her a more contemporary feel
while still retaining that classic cruise-ship character.
I am always struck by how much Britannia introduced to the P&O fleet. For example:
The Limelight Club: many people assume this began on Iona or Arvia, but Britannia launched the concept and proved how successful it could be.
Sindhu: Britannia’s Sindhu has a lovely sense of space and remains a reminder that older ships are not automatically behind the curve.
Nashta: the daytime Indian street-food-style concept on sea days, offering smaller plates rather than a full multi-course evening meal, which gives guests something a bit different.
It is interesting to see how Britannia has evolved without losing her identity.
We did not just wander around admiring carpets, of course. We also had the chance to see part of a stage show passengers would experience on a normal sailing, giving us another taste of what life onboard is actually like.
And as a final little detail for the ship history fans: Britannia was named by Queen Elizabeth II in Southampton in March 2015 before entering service that month, which adds an extra layer of significance when you are back onboard a decade later.
Back onboard “Indy”
Today, 24 May, it was time for another trip down memory lane with Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, affectionately known as “Indy”.
I first sailed on her on her maiden voyage in 2008.
In 2018 she underwent a major $110 million Royal Amplified refurbishment, transforming many of her public areas, entertainment spaces, dining venues and top-deck activities.
So, stepping back onboard now is slightly surreal. On the one hand, so much of the ship feels new and different; on the other, there are little corners that trigger very specific memories.
The Baby Splash Zone, for example, looks remarkably familiar. Of all the areas on the top deck, that tiny splash zone is the bit that makes me think “yes, I remember this from years ago”.
We also watched part of one of the stage shows, another chance to see the quality of entertainment guests enjoy on a regular cruise.
For me, this visit was not just about seeing what has changed, but about reconnecting with where my own cruise journey with Indy began back in 2008.
So, what do I actually get out of a CLIA Conference?
I do not come home from a CLIA Conference suddenly having discovered that I love cruising. After more than three decades working in travel, many of them specialising in cruise, that particular revelation happened long ago.
For me, the value lies elsewhere. It is about:
Networking and strengthening relationships with cruise lines
Meeting the people behind the brands, not just their logos
Keeping my product knowledge current
Understanding what is new, what has evolved, and who each experience is best suited to
Cruising never stands still. New ships are launched, existing ships are refurbished, products are refined and new itineraries appear. Expedition cruising continues to grow, different concepts emerge, and familiar brands update what they offer.
Events like CLIA Conference matter because when I am booking someone’s holiday, it is not enough to know the name of a cruise line. I need to understand:
The differences between the lines
What has changed recently
Which ship or style will genuinely suit a particular client
How it all feels in real life, not just on a brochure page
That is why I keep going back.
And why, after attending many CLIA conferences over the years, I decided that 2025 was finally the year to write about one.
From an expedition ship in Portsmouth to an evening with a luxury cruise line, from an industry conference and 70 suppliers to tribute acts, a Champagne bar, an Olympic gold medallist, Antarctica stories, Britannia and a ship I first sailed on in 2008…
I would say it has been a pretty good few days.
And yes, I have definitely managed to enjoy myself along the way.
