17 September 2025
Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland working together as the British Isles have jointly been awarded Destination of the Year at the 2025 Seatrade Cruise Awards. This marks the first time that the British Isles as a combined cruise entity has bid for an internationally recognised travel honour and is testament to the increasing strength of the relationship supporting the British Isles cruising region.
The Destination of the Year award recognises a location or cruising region that consistently delivers exceptional experiences to cruise passengers and cruise lines, standing out for its visitor offering, operational excellence and collaborative approach within the industry.
Ian McQuade, Chair, Cruise Britain, said “We are delighted and honoured to receive this award jointly with our valued partners at Cruise Ireland. The British Isles cruising region has seen significant growth over recent years and we firmly believe that our cross-Irish Sea collaboration recognised by this prestigious award further fuels this growth to the benefit of all.’’
“Both Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland have worked to bring their memberships together where appropriate, to share and promote best practice and to support cruise operators in the wider region. Together, the two associations believe that cross-border co-operation is key to building and developing success.” added McQuade.
Ann Doherty, Chair of Cruise Ireland, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as Destination of the Year at the Seatrade Cruise Awards. This award is a testament to the combined efforts of Cruise Ireland, Cruise Britain, our tourism partners and communities in creating a world-class welcome for cruise guests.’’
The award was presented at a ceremony celebrating excellence across the global cruise industry. Accepting the accolade on behalf of both organisations were Kay Greenway, Director of Cruise Britain and Ann Doherty, Chair of Cruise Ireland.
In an industry first, Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland came together at Seatrade Europe to exhibit under Cruise the British Isles and hosted a joint reception at the event.
The recognition follows the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland at Seatrade Cruise Global in 2024. The MoU signified a shared commitment to promoting and developing cruise tourism in both Britain and Ireland through cross-border collaboration designed to support cruise tourism and economic growth for both destinations.