Nigel and Bill relax at sea

Two more leading lights of the UK cruise industry give me their highlights of 2009 and reveal what they are looking forward to in 2010.
Nigel Lingard, Marketing Director of Fred Olsen Cruises
What was your highlight of 2009?
Managing to fill the ships despite early fears of a doomsday scenario!
What do you expect to be the highlight of 2010?
Hopefully a successful enough year to give us optimism for long-term plans….
Where did you take your main holiday in 2009?
A Quark Expeditions cruise around the Svalbard Islands, spotting lots of polar bears.
Where are you planning to vacation in 2010?
Early in the year a trans-Panama cruise; later probably the Mekong River.
What’s your dream destination?
A ranch holiday in Arizona.
What is the biggest pressure of work?
Keeping the team motivated through difficult times.
How do you relax?
Shooting, fishing and walking the dog.
Bill Gibbons, director of the Passenger Shipping Association, the UK trade body for cruise and ferry companies
What was your highlight of 2009?
A two-week cruise in the Far East with Costa. Hong Kong to Singapore with four different ports of call in Vietnam.
What do you expect to be the highlight of 2010?
On a personal note, becoming a Grandfather for the first time. My daughter Joan is due in early May. On a professional note, looking forward to continued growth in the cruise industry.
Where did you take your main holiday in 2009?
Cruises are working holidays. My main vacation is taken at my wonderful Dorset cottage on the coast overlooking Weymouth bay. However there is quite a lot of land and it is hard work!
Where are you planning to vacation in 2010?
I shall spend time in Dorset but would very much like to experience a cruise in the Middle East, particularly out of Dubai.
What’s your dream destination?
I would say that one of the best was an Alaskan cruise in 2007. Alaska lends itself to cruising and the scenery and wildlife are totally spectacular.
What is the biggest pressure of work?
We have a lot of industry issues at the moment. The main pressure is to ensure that we give full value to all our members.
How do you relax?
Cutting grass at my cottage and going to the opera in London.