It’s Cruise Week, so Travel Weekly decided there was only one man we wanted to chat with about the many questions concerning the cruise industry.

CLIA’s Australasia commercial director Brett Jardine tells us how it is.

Australian cruisers hit the one million mark this year. Do you think we can sustain this level and continue to grow? How?

Absolutely – the interest in cruising continues to soar and the level of knowledge amongst our travel agent members is first class.

Add to this, the deployment of more ships by cruise lines locally, along with some great value international offerings, and I think cruising will continue to be part of our psyche for many years to come.

How can the cruise industry further grow its market penetration?

In 2014 Australia became the first country in the world to exceed a source market penetration rate of greater than four per cent. This is extraordinary for a country with a population of just 23.5 million people but there is still room for more growth.

As the awareness of cruising continues to increase, we will see more ships being deployed locally. Plus Australians’ willingness to undertake long haul travel means we’ll see more growth internationally.

What’s your favourite cruise line?

As CLIA has 64 Member Cruise Lines that each contribute to my salary, I have to say I love them all – although my wife is a huge fan of Azamara Club Cruises.

When it comes to infrastructure, Australia lags behind the rest of the world due to the limited capacity. Do you think this deters ships from visiting? What needs to change?

The NSW Government has spent in excess of $100 million in establishing the White Bay Cruise Terminal and upgrading the Overseas Passenger Terminal to become a much more efficient facility. Despite this investment in new infrastructure, we still lack sufficient space to cater for demand during our peak season.

Sydney Harbour is a pivotal drawcard for cruise ships and the NSW population as a source market is close to half of the entire country, so we do need to find a solution that meets the long term needs of the cruise industry and fits within the NSW landscape both environmentally and financially.

The next big opportunity from this market would surely be Brisbane given its geographic proximity to the South Pacific.

Aside from infrastructure, what else is holding Australia back from reaching its full potential?

Infrastructure impacts the two-thirds of Australian cruisers that board their ships in Australian homeports but fortunately with bigger ships being deployed here, we are continuing to see an increase in capacity which is helping us to boost cruise numbers locally.

The other third of Australian cruisers choose to cruise internationally. In recent times we have seen strong growth in ocean and river cruising in Europe in particular and with literally hundreds of European ports to visit, this trend could continue for many years.

If you didn’t work in the travel industry what would you do?

In life we are often faced with choices. When I was 21, I had the chance to take up a golf scholarship in the USA or start a career in the travel industry. Sensible Brett chose the travel industry (with no regrets) but I often wonder where the golf scholarship path may have taken me…

What can agents do to convince non-cruising clients to give cruise holidays a go?

When a consumer is considering buying any goods or service, ultimately their purchase is based on value recognition. Cruising delivers value like no other holiday option and there is a cruise for every taste.

What are the key goals for the future of cruising in Australia?

The Australasian market has been very capacity driven until now. If the capacity has been available we have obliged and filled it. This has also driven the cruise lines to deploy newer ships to this region which in turn has sparked further interest.

Now we are faced with a dilemma in our peak summer cruising season due to infrastructure constraints.  Finding a workable solution in Sydney is key to unlocking the full potential of the entire region.

What was your favourite holiday?

Earlier this year my wife and I cruised around French Polynesia. I had seen many photos of over-water bungalows that I had assumed it would be a great place to just flop and drop.

But once onboard our Paul Gauguin ship, I quickly realised that cruising the region not only allows you to relax, it also lets you immerse yourself in the surrounds and discover more of French Polynesia.

What are the top benefits of being a CLIA member?

Being a member of an industry association offers a wide range of opportunities that can lead to enhanced business relationships and, ultimately, greater success.

At CLIA this includes; access to education and training that leads to a Cruise Industry Accreditation – a powerful marketing tool; access to the annual Cruise Week promotion; discounted entry to CLIA events and conferences such as Cruise3sixty and the Cruise Industry Awards; a weekly e-newsletter to keep you abreast of cruise industry news, views, updates and offers; a listing on leading consumer websites driving potential referrals directly to your agency.

What’s the next big thing to hit the seas? Is it ships becoming bigger, hot destinations, etc?

Bigger ships certainly fill the need for a segment that is looking for an active cruise holiday given the wide variety of onboard activities. These bigger ships also dispel the “I’ll be bored on a cruise” myth.

However there are many other styles of cruising that continue to develop and deliver an amazing cruise holiday, such as river cruising and expedition cruising as well as small ships that can deliver a higher level of personal service in a relaxed atmosphere.

To top it off there are even ships that combine many of these factors in one vessel such as small-ship luxury, small-ship expedition and luxury expedition.

Where’s your favourite place to cruise?

I have many favourites but the Eastern Mediterranean sticks out as an amazing place – you can discover multiple destinations in one itinerary and the region offers so much history and culture.

What do you anticipate the results to be from Cruise Week? What do you hope to achieve?

Cruise Week is all about cruise lines and travel agents working together to broaden awareness and understanding of cruising as a great value holiday option. This is achieved through cruise lines participating in CLIA coordinated consumer marketing activity across Australia and New Zealand.

The major marketing tool for Cruise Week 2015 is an interactive online magazine that is easy for all CLIA Travel Agent Members to distribute and use. It includes CLIA Member Lines committed to driving leads from some amazing offers directly to our CLIA Member Travel Agents.

If you won $1 million, aside from travelling what would you do?

I could be boring and say “pay off the mortgage” (yes, I would do that), but personally playing more golf would be a great start. I would find it hard to walk away from an industry that I am very passionate about.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

The harder you work the luckier you get.