So, that’s summer over. More rain than sun, no doubt, but as we approach the autumn months and darker nights, the skies have brightened for the cruise sector.

The return of international cruises is the headline news – it was impossible to ignore the universal feeling of euphoria, or collective sigh of relief, as Bolsover Cruise Club MD Michael Wilson explains in The Briefing. Domestic cruises have also continued to delight many clients, both repeaters and those new to cruise.

The summer months also brought with them another reason to celebrate – the Celebrity Cruises and Cruise Trade News prize giveaway.

This joint digital and print campaign was all about rewarding hard work and providing some light relief.

It included great prizes, such as Celebrity stationery gift packs, culinary starter packs, and four chances to experience the revolutionised Celebrity Silhouette, which has a number of new on-board areas to experience.

Elsewhere in this issue, we analyse how the sector can better target younger cruises in the CTN Investigates section. As University of Suffolk tourism and cruise researcher Jennifer Holland says: “Millennials are under-targeted in cruising and yet represent such an opportunity for growth.”

Meanwhile, P&O Cruises’ mega ship Iona is officially sailing and “Britain’s most environmentally friendly cruise ship”, as it has been described by the line, is the focus of the At a Glance feature in this issue.

We also take a closer look at Horizon Cruise Terminal, the new state-of-the-art facility at the Port of Southampton, and step on board Celebrity Silhouette for a six-night domestic voyage.

For this month, we also have a special luxury supplement pull-out, giving you all you need to know about this segment of the sector, including a special interview with Oceania Cruises, focusing on new ship Vista.