What does Freddie Mercury and the cruise industry have in common? Well, if you attended this year’s CLIA Conference, you’d know the answer

It’s not unusual for a celebrity to make an appearance at a cruise event. But when that celebrity passed away in 1991, heads are bound to turn.

Enter Jonny Peat, senior commercial manager – cruise at The Advantage Travel Partnership, who dazzled attendees when he arrived at Southampton’s Guildhall dressed in Freddie’s iconic outfit from the I Want to Break Free music video.

A few months on and Peat joins the Cruise Corner podcast discuss the story behind the stockings, as well as the consortium’s blitzing start to 2025.

With bookings performing better than ever before, the group has launched a new 2025 cruise guide, welcomed additional members like Matlock Travel and Over the Moon Escapes and rolled out a major rebrand.

Peat also looks ahead to Advantage’s upcoming cruise conference onboard Sky Princess in October and what agents can expect during the three-day sailing from Southampton to Hamburg.

You can listen to the podcast below, or on all leading platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer. You can also view the video version on Youtube.

Last week, Force24’s Adam Oldfield and Real Response Media’s Richard Seal joined the Cruise Corner to explain why harnessing personalisation can make your email marketing stand out from the crowd.

Have an idea for an episode? Email [email protected] to find out more.