Stuart Allison joins CLIA Hall of Fame

Respected cruise line executive Stuart Allison has been inducted into the industry’s Hall of Fame at the 22^nd annual Cruise Industry Awards for Australasia, recognising his leadership role in the cruise sector for more than 25 years.

In front of hundreds of guests at a gala celebration in Sydney hosted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on Saturday night, Allison was announced as the 19^th member of the Hall of Fame by Peter Little, the Chairman of CLIA in Australasia and senior vice president & country manager for Carnival Corporation.

“Tonight, we recognise an individual whose contributions have not only shaped but significantly advanced the cruise sector in our region,” Little said. “Over the past two decades, Stuart has been a driving force behind the expansion and success of the cruise industry in Australasia.

All the winers from the CLIA Cruise Industry Awards 2025

“He is a visionary leader with an analytical mind and an unwavering passion for the sector,” Little said. “He has played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s cruise landscape, always looking ahead to the next opportunity.”

Allison recently moved to the UK where he now serves as P&O Cruises Chief Commercial Officer. He previously led Princess Cruises in this region as the line’s Sydney-based Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, UK & Europe, and has held multiple positions across Carnival Corporation brands in Australia over recent decades.

“I am really humbled to receive this recognition. When I was given the opportunity to come to Australia to support the P&O Princess expansion, I genuinely thought it was going to be for a couple of years, certainly not a couple of decades,” he said in a recorded video message.

“It really was a period of huge change and experimentation.”

That included introducing a world cruise from Australia. 

“This recognition tonight really celebrates the power of working together as an industry, because the whole really is greater than the sum of the parts. In closing, it’s been a sweet to reflect on the great influence that P&O Australia has had on cruising in the region. As that era comes to an end, I’ll certainly be forever grateful for the opportunity that the P&O cruises brand has supported me both in Australia and now back here in the UK.”

CLIA managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said Allison had been a dedicated ambassador for the Australasian cruise industry.

“Stuart has been a key leader through times of enormous development and innovation, striving not only for his own brands but also for the wider Australasian cruise community,” Katz said. “As a member of our Executive Committee, he was a valuable supporter of CLIA and our membership through extraordinary times, and we’re incredibly grateful for his guidance and the huge contribution he has made on behalf of our industry.”

CLIA’s 22^nd Cruise Industry Awards were held at Sydney’s Star Event Centre on Saturday 8 March, where a total of 16 awards were presented to travel agents and other members of the Australasian cruise community.