Cruiseabout New Zealand is celebrating after it received top accolades at the  Retail NZ Top Shop (upper South Island) awards.

The best shops from the upper South Island were named at the Retail NZ Top Shop awards ceremony at the Air Force Museum of NZ in Christchurch, with Cruiseabout Nelson taking out the runner-up award for national/multistore Top Shop.

“We’re so happy to have won this award; it’s such an amazing feeling and it has just made us that much more hungry to exceed the service we provide, it’s really raised the bar for us,” says local Amanda Cuff, Cruiseabout Nelson team leader.

Cruiseabout NZ brand leader, Danny Bodger, says the win is a fantastic achievement for the store and a real credit to the team.

“We are really proud of the team at Cruiseabout Nelson – Amanda Cuff, Louise Wise and Lauren Phillips. Winning this award is a real testament to their hard work and commitment to their clients.”

Talked about as the fastest growing industry within travel at the moment, the demand for cruising continues to grow year on year, particularly in the south.

“The continuing demand for cruise holidays is largely due to consumer confidence, affordability, and the increasing variety of cruise ships that are coming down to NZ waters,” points out Bodger.

A record 23 million passengers are expected to sail in 2015 with the Asia Pacific region currently accounting for almost 10 per cent of the global market, making it the world’s fastest growing cruise region.

Cuff explains that the company has had a very busy few months at Cruiseabout Nelson, with locals taking advantage of competitive pricing.

She adds that current hot cruise destinations for those in Nelson include Australia, the South Pacific, the Americas and Europe.

Flight Centre Barrington in Christchurch took out the title of national/multistore Top Shop.