MIAMI — Halifax travel agent Kelly Neonakis-Morash was one of three grand prize winners in Carnival Cruise Line’s ‘Ultimate Cruise Night’ contest, taking home US$5,000 for her ‘music cruise’-themed client night hosted this past September with fellow TravelOnly agent Debbie Cairns. The event featured live music and culinary samplings and had the added goal of driving business for an affinity group on an upcoming Carnival sailing.

Carnival originally promoted the contest with one grand prize of $5,000 and two runner-up prizes of $2,500. However Carnival surprised all three finalists by awarding them each a $5,000 grand prize.

The ‘Ultimate Cruise Night’ contest kicked off last summer with agencies submitting ideas for creative and effective cruise nights to Carnival. Three finalists were then given $1,000 by the line to host their proposed cruise night, attended by a Carnival representative.

“The creativity and originality that these travel agents demonstrated in putting together their cruise nights was so incredible that we simply couldn’t choose one winner,” said Carnival’s VP Sales & Trade Marketing, Adolfo Perez. “These events serve as excellent benchmarks for agents looking to host their own unique and innovative cruise night event in the future.”

The other two winners were in the U.S.: Kerri and Rob Stuart, owners of the Cruise Planners franchise All Aboard with Rob & Kerri in Tampa, hosted a party where guests made their own warm chocolate melting cakes, a guest favorite aboard Carnival ships (and shared a live stream of their event through multiple social media channels); and Christy Dukes and her team with South Georgia Travel in Valdosta, GA, turned their cruise night into a pool party much like one would find on a Carnival cruise. Attendees had the opportunity to create their own cruise vacation wishes in specially created wish jars at the event.