Cruise Pirate.
Cruise Pirate.
Everything CLIA's official site doesn't tell you — networking hotspots, restaurant picks, what to pack, gala tips, and the AI tools changing cruise sales forever.
Restaurant map, networking cheat sheet, packing list, and a surprise from the crew — free, straight to your inbox.
CLIA Cruise360 is the cruise industry's largest annual conference, returning to the newly expanded Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale for six days of professional development, ship inspections, trade show exhibits, and the prestigious Hall of Fame Gala Dinner. Whether this is your first Cruise 360 or your tenth, here's the insider playbook.
Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. Recently expanded to 1.2M sq ft with a new waterfront plaza and panoramic glass walls overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.
CLIA Members: $349 · Non-Members: $549. Includes general sessions with meals, trade show access, breakout seminars, and the Gala Dinner. Register at the official CLIA site.
Business casual throughout. The Hall of Fame Awards & Gala Dinner calls for cocktail attire — not required, but most attendees dress up. Pack layers; the convention center AC runs cold.
CLIA shuttles run every 15 minutes between host hotels and the convention center. Water taxi stops at the center and the Hilton Marina. Port Everglades (ship inspections) is adjacent.
Meals included at general sessions and the gala. Outside food is NOT permitted inside. Concession stands available inside, but your best bet is the restaurants within walking distance (see our picks below).
Download the official Cruise360 app (details sent 1 week prior). Use it to pre-schedule breakout sessions — popular ones fill up. Print your schedule as backup; no on-site printing available.
Here's the high-level structure of the week. The official app will have detailed breakout session times once they're announced — but this gives you the shape of each day so you can plan travel, dinners, and networking around it.
| Day | Date | What's Happening |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Mon, Apr 21 | Pre-conference certificate programs, early registration, welcome reception. Great day for smaller-group networking before the crowds arrive. |
| Day 2 | Tue, Apr 22 | Opening general session with breakfast, trade show floor opens, breakout seminars, product & destination workshops begin. The busiest day — arrive early. |
| Day 3 | Wed, Apr 23 | General session, continued breakouts and workshops, cruise line showcases, ship inspections at Port Everglades begin. Inspections are a highlight — sign up early. |
| Day 4 | Thu, Apr 24 | Final sessions, trade show last chance, Graduate Reception for newly certified agents, and the main event: the Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards & Gala Dinner. |
| Day 5 | Fri, Apr 25 | Remaining ship inspections, final workshops and seminars. Many attendees depart — a quieter day ideal for deeper one-on-one conversations. |
| Day 6 | Sat, Apr 26 | Closing sessions and departures. If you're staying the weekend, Fort Lauderdale's beaches and Las Olas Boulevard are worth exploring. |
Arrive 15 minutes early to any pre-scheduled breakout — CLIA will release your seat to standby after that. Don't over-schedule; leave gaps for hallway conversations and impromptu connections. The best networking often happens between sessions, not during them. And if the session you wanted is full? The agent standing next to you in the standby line is probably worth talking to anyway.
Cruise Pirate is the AI-powered host agency built for cruise sellers who want to work smarter. The first 200 founding agents lock in a 90/10 commission split — the best terms we'll ever offer. Just $50/month or $405/year (paid up front). Once the 200 spots are gone, they're gone.
Outside food isn't allowed inside the convention center, and the concession stands are... fine. These are the spots within walking distance where agents actually gather for meals, post-session drinks, and the kind of networking that doesn't happen in breakout rooms.
The go-to for agents who want a solid meal close to the action. Outdoor seating, strong drinks, and a crowd that skews travel industry all week. Prime networking spot.
At the corner of Eisenhower & 17th — multiple food options in one spot. Great for a quick lunch between sessions when you don't want to commit to a sit-down.
A Fort Lauderdale institution. Massive hoagies, fast service, cash-friendly. Perfect for a quick, cheap lunch when you're short on time between sessions.
Beautiful waterfront setting, excellent seafood, and a scene that attracts agents after hours. Book ahead for dinner — it fills up during conference week.
No-frills waterfront spot with some of the freshest seafood around. Cash only. The kind of place where the best conversations happen over cold beer and oysters.
Right on Fort Lauderdale Beach with ocean views. A nicer dinner option for when you want to impress a new contact or celebrate a productive day.
Fort Lauderdale's main dining and nightlife strip. Dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops. Worth the Uber for a full evening out — especially Thursday or Friday night.
These hotels offer complimentary CLIA shuttle service to and from the convention center every 15 minutes. Book early — they fill up fast once registration opens.
Connected directly to the convention center. The most convenient option and the highest concentration of attendees. Lobby lounge is the #1 post-session gathering spot.
On the Intracoastal with its own marina and water taxi stop. The bar here is an agent hub every evening. 4-minute walk to the convention center.
In the 17th Street yachting district. Slightly quieter — great if you want a break from the crowd. Short shuttle ride to the center.
4 blocks from the convention center. Complimentary evening reception with drinks — a hidden networking gem. Suite layout gives you room to spread out.
You're about to spend six days surrounded by 7,000 travel professionals. Here's how to make every conversation count — whether it's your first conference or your twentieth.
1. Meals are your best asset. General sessions include meals. Never eat alone. Sit at the most crowded table and introduce yourself to everyone. These casual conversations convert better than any pitch.
2. Work the transitions. The 5–10 minutes between sessions — when agents are streaming through hallways with coffee — is prime networking time. Position yourself near exits and coffee stations.
3. Don't over-schedule sessions. Leave at least 2 open blocks per day for impromptu conversations. The agent you meet in the hallway might be more valuable than any workshop.
4. The gala is the main event. Arrive early for cocktail hour. This is where the most senior agents and executives mingle. Dress well, bring plenty of cards, and don't leave before 10 PM.
5. Hotel bars > official events. The Omni lobby and Hilton Marina bar from 5:30–8 PM daily are where the real relationships form. Show up, order a drink, and be approachable.
6. Follow up within 24 hours. Send a personal text or DM the same evening you meet someone. "Great meeting you at [specific place]. Let's connect again before the week is over."
7. Bring more business cards than you think. 200 minimum. You'll use them all. And photograph every card you receive at the end of each day.
If there's one theme dominating the cruise industry conversation heading into Cruise 360 2026, it's artificial intelligence. From automated client follow-ups to AI-generated marketing campaigns and real-time price matching, the agents who adopt AI tools are dramatically outpacing those who don't. Here's what you need to know.
For years, the advantage of being with a large host agency was access to tools and support that solo agents couldn't afford. AI is leveling that playing field. Independent agents can now automate the tasks that used to eat up hours every week: writing follow-up emails, creating social media posts, comparing pricing across cruise lines, and nurturing leads through a sales pipeline.
The result? Agents using AI-powered platforms report spending less time on admin and more time on what actually makes money: selling cruises and building client relationships.
AI that scans every cruise line's inventory and finds the best price for your client in seconds — no more tab-hopping between ten different supplier sites.
Set it and forget it. AI sends personalized follow-up sequences to your leads and past clients at exactly the right time — so no booking falls through the cracks.
AI writes your email newsletters, social media posts, and promotional campaigns. You review and send. What used to take 3 hours takes 10 minutes.
AI organizes your client database, flags upcoming anniversaries and birthdays, and suggests the right offer for each client based on their booking history.
Cruise Pirate is the first host agency built from the ground up with AI at its core. 90/10 split, custom quote URLs, AI search, automated payouts, and a built-in CRM — all live. Only 200 founding agent spots at $50/mo or $405/year.
If you're evaluating host agencies at Cruise 360, here are the questions that separate the future-ready from the legacy players:
Does your platform include AI-powered pricing tools, or do I still search manually? Can your system automatically follow up with my clients without me logging in every day? Will AI help me create marketing content, or do I still have to write everything from scratch? How does your technology help me manage and grow my book of business over time? And critically — is your AI built into the platform natively, or is it a bolt-on afterthought?
The answers will tell you everything about where a host agency is headed.
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