Industry leaders pay tribute to cruise pioneer Sarina Bratton

June 5, 2024 – Cruise industry leaders have paid tribute to pioneering Australian businesswoman Sarina Bratton AM as she steps down from the board of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Australasia after almost three decades of service.

Mrs Bratton is a past Chairman of CLIA in Australasia and founder of its precursor, the International Cruise Council of Australasia, which she helped establish in 1996. She is a recipient of CLIA’s Hall of Fame award and a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant services to tourism, particularly the cruise industry, and to business.

At CLIA’s recent Annual General Meeting for Australasia, the regional leaders of key CLIA cruise lines thanked Mrs Bratton, who is the Global Strategic Advisor and Honorary Chairwoman Asia Pacific for luxury exploration line, PONANT.

“Sarina has been a standard-bearer for the Australasian cruise industry in ways that will have a lasting legacy for our community,” said CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz. “She is a genuine pioneer of cruising in this part of the world, a highly respected businesswoman, and the first woman to be a cruise line founder.”

CLIA Chairman in Australasia Peter Little thanked Mrs Bratton for her decades of service to the region’s cruise community.

“Sarina has been an important voice for cruising throughout the Asia Pacific region and a tireless advocate to governments and industry stakeholders in Australasia,” Mr Little said. “She has helped shape cruising in Australasia and has been integral to the creation of a strong and successful CLIA membership.”

Mrs Bratton has previously been Founder and Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises, Founder and Managing Director of Norwegian Capricorn Line, and Vice President and General Manager Asia Pacific for Cunard Line. She has held board positions at numerous entities including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee, and Australian Trade Commission, among others.