Merry Christmas everyone. December os here and with it come the usual trappings of the festive period.

While it’s certainly true that during this time we can recharge and look back on successes and experiences during the year, in reality nothing ever stops and it’s soon on to the next challenge.

And so, as we look forward to a new year, we analyse if 2024 will be the year of new to cruise and examine what’s happening in the wave period. Elsewhere, we focus on the highlights from the Wave Awards 2023, which took place in November at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

This issue also sees the return of the annual Cruise Trade News and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines advent calendar. You’ll see the front cover laid out in a traditional advent calendar format, with codes behind the numbered doors. Open these on the corresponding day in December to win great prizes. Play the game at cruisetradenews.com.

On a personal note, this is my last issue as editor. I’ve been with the publication for almost six years and in that time have been lucky enough to travel the world and experience some truly memorable moments. Of course, my time as editor also brought with it the pandemic. However, with your support, we were able to continue publishing and now the Cruise Trade News brand is ideally placed to grow and go to greater heights.

Thanks for a great journey and all the best for the future.