FACE-2-FACE:

Michelle Black

Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand, Viking Cruises.

1. What excites you about the Australian market?

Australians’ appetite for cruising is insatiable which is great for any cruise company. We begin our maiden homeporting season next week with Viking Orion in local waters for the next three months and we welcome our sixth ship to the fleet in Feb so we are excited about what the future holds for Viking in Australia.

2. What is the key to building great rela onships with agents?

Respect, reliability and consistency would be key long-term factors to building great trade partnerships. In addition to the value we place on these relationships and the investment we make to ensure we are helping to drive consumers through the doors – we spend tens of millions in marketing investment to drive awareness and demand and we rely on our trade partners to close the sale.

3. What is your advice for upand-comers?

Work hard, constant learning, read, read, read, even shorter articles. Find a good mentor, they don’t necessarily have to be in same industry, business is business.

I’ve had mine for over 15 years and it’s one of my most valuable professional relationships.

4. What was your best fam? Surprisingly I’ve only ever done two. My career background is not in travel so therefore fams are not something I’ve grown up doing. My most recent fam was on Viking Orion with some of Australia’s key travel business owners and journalists – it was a great group of like-minded people.

5. Celebrity you’d like to cruise with?

That’s a hard one – someone who is fun, likes conversation and could carve up the dance floor. Maybe Ellen DeGeneres.

6. Favourite cruise des na on?

Hard to answer as I have so many more to experience – however I did do our Into the Midnight Sun itinerary this year from Bergen to London for my holiday and Norway is just spectacular.

7. When not at work, how do you spend your me?

Catching up on life, but my absolute most treasured pastime is spending time with my daughters and their families.