CLIA’s 2026 Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards Honor Influential Advisors and Cruise Line Leaders

The Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) are known to make powerful CEOs tear up, and humble successful travel agency leaders.

Each year, CLIA recognizes four outstanding individuals or organizations who have made an outsized contribution to the cruise industry. Awardees are chosen from among the North American travel trade community (including agency owners, executives, and advisors) as well as trade-facing sales and marketing leaders at CLIA member cruise lines.

The 2026 Hall of Fame inductees have had a positive impact on the cruise industry and on their colleagues throughout their decades in travel sales.

Two Decades of CLIA's Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards

CLIA inducted its first class into the Hall of Fame in 2005. The awards can recognize any member of CLIA's travel trade community, at any stage in their career. Inductees are honored at a gala event during Cruise360, CLIA's biggest professional development and networking event of the year, where they receive CLIA's Spirit of Ascension statuette. (Fun fact: It's the same height and weight as an Oscar.)

The selection process for this meritorious honor is a year-round endeavor. Recommendations come from CLIA's North American travel trade membership, with more than 59,600 members. CLIA's in-house trade relations team compiles a short list and discusses candidates with select members of the CLIA Trade Relations Committee. This strategic advisory committee, composed of cruise line senior vice presidents and C-suite executives from prominent travel agencies, provides perspective and helps shape each year's Hall of Fame class. Authority for final selection remains with CLIA.

"Because we have such strong relationships and engagement with our community, we're very in tune with who ought to receive the honor," says CLIA Vice President of Industry & Trade Relations Charles Sylvia, ECC.

2026 Hall of Fame Inductees

This year's class of Hall of Famers earned their recognition through decades of supporting the growth and success of the travel trade community.

Elite Cruise Counsellor (ECC) of the Year: Wendy Franz, ECC, Trevello Travel Group

Franz is a former nurse who opened a home-based travel agency in 1997 and joined host agency Trevello Travel Group in 2008. She stood out because of her unwavering support of her fellow travel advisors.

"Wendy Franz has constantly given of herself to everyone in her professional life," says Sylvia. "Since she became a travel advisor, she has given back to her fellow travel advisors in terms of mentorship and support." Wendy gave up her own time, sometimes putting aside her own business priorities, to nurture others in the industry, Sylvia adds.

Travel Agency of the Year: Nexion Travel Group

Nexion Travel Group has a history of promoting advisor education and bringing the best people into the travel business. The agency encourages its members to be active in travel industry advocacy, and its leaders set the example. President Jackie Friedman recently served as chair of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and is currently a member of the CLIA Trade Relations Committee.

Nexion as a company is a huge supporter of Family Bonds, a foundation designed to financially support people within the travel space experiencing adversity, such as an illness or the loss of a home.

"While Nexion is a company that looks to make a profit, it is also one of the best citizens within the travel industry and seeks to make a positive difference in people's lives," says Sylvia.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Trade): Rick Mazza, president and CEO, Travelsavers/Nest

Mazza is best known as the father of the modern consortium model, uniting independent travel advisors to better negotiate with providers and share marketing and training resources. He launched Travelsavers in 1970, an agency network with an enhanced focus on marketing, and grew that business from 55 agencies to more than 3,000.

Mazza has since founded other consortium businesses, including The Affluent Traveler Collection, a marketing group for luxury advisors, and Nest, a network for home-based agencies, which serve to provide members with marketing tools, technology assistance, strategic partnerships, and professional training. He was also an early supporter and partner of the cruise industry.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Cruise Line): Dondra Ritzenthaler, ECC, CEO of Azamara Cruises

Ritzenthaler has been an inspiration to many over her 40-plus years in the travel industry, including in her current role and formerly as sales and marketing executive at Celebrity Cruises and American Airlines. She earned this award for her leadership mindset that prioritizes relationships and teamwork, and for always being a strong advocate for travel advisors. Colleagues describe her as a mentor, motivator, and friend.

Previous Hall of Fame inductee Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support & service at Royal Caribbean, said at the awards gala that Ritzenthaler "brings laughter into hard work, friendship into business, and heart into absolutely everything she does."

What makes the CLIA Hall of Fame honor so special is the impact it has on its recipients.

"These folks are such consequential, powerful people-leaders we all look up to-but when they finally find out that their industry is recognizing them, it becomes a very human and personal moment," says Sylvia. "That has been one of the most satisfying aspects of this program."

© 2026 Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). All rights reserved.

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