TORONTO — When you love a cruise line, you can sell a cruise line – really, really sell it.

That’s certainly the case for Rick Ayoup, a travel advisor with Vacations for Canadians, based in Ancaster, ON.

He was recently honoured by Celebrity Cruises Canada for all his hard work selling Celebrity sailings. “Celebrity Cruises hits all the priorities of our growing clientele of Vacations for Canadians,” Ayoup tells Travelweek, adding that many of the agency’s clients book multiple Celebrity sailings every year.

Rick Ayoup on Celebrity Ascent

Six of Celebrity’s top-producing Canadian travel advisors, including Ayoup, recently won a free cruise for two from Celebrity Cruises Canada (plus $1,000 in air credit from Air Canada). Says Allan Brooks, Celebrity’s National Director – Sales, Canada: “There is nothing we love more than gifting our travel partners with cash and prizes.”

Travelweek connected with Ayoup to find out what it is about Celebrity that keeps him coming back to the cruise line’s product again and again.

The way Ayoup sees it, Celebrity offers classic, well-maintained ships that are appealing to just about everyone. “They go the extra mile to ensure that the ships are always fresh and looking new. Service is always a priority for Celebrity – you never have to look around or wait for a staff member to assist.”

Ayoup says Celebrity also does a great job with group rates, “that not only include the most important perks to clients, such as drinks and WiFi, but they bundle that up with an unbeatable price point, not to mention a refundable deposit.”

Travelweek asked Ayoup about the cruise line’s standout itineraries.

“While Celebrity continues to offer great cruise itineraries to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the ones that stand out to me are the ones that people don’t think of first then they think of cruising,” he says.

Japan cruises “are an excellent option” and Vacations for Canadians sold a lot of these itineraries in 2023, he adds. “Personally, I had a lot of success selling back-to-back Japan combined with a Far East cruise to Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. In one amazing cruise, a Celebrity client gets to stay in the same cabin and visit all of these incredible destinations without having to pack and unpack.”

Travelweek also asked about Ayoup’s own favourite Celebrity sailings.

“While we have had the good fortune to do many amazing Celebrity cruises over the years, one easily stands out in our minds,” he says. “When we are asked about cruising, I always tell people about our most incredible cruise to the British Isles. We had an opportunity to travel through the canal in Amsterdam, visited Dublin and Belfast, experienced the white cliffs of Dover and strolled through Bruges in Belgium. One key highlight was our stop in Liverpool, home of the Beatles where we thoroughly enjoyed everything Beatles. All this would have been amazing in and of itself, but Celebrity also included stops in Cherbourg, France and Le Havre, where we got to see the World War II memorials. You can’t help but feel emotions when you are there.”

Ayoup added: “We don’t plan on certain destinations or itineraries. The good thing about Celebrity is that there are so many options and new itineraries. I am fortunate in my role as a cruise travel adviser of Vacations for Canadians that I get to see so many new cruising opportunities. The hard part is picking one.”

Not surprisingly Celebrity is always happy to welcome more top producers into the fold. Says Brooks: “We cannot wait to announce our next big prize giveaway contest, so be on the lookout.”