Carrie Purnell, of Eastleigh-based Ocean World Travel, claimed her 100,000th Shine point in June after joining the trade loyalty platform when it launched in December 2017.

Shine Rewards Club is P&O Cruises online trade engagement platform, which rewards travel agents for bookings and completing training. It's also a hub featuring product knowledge, sales tools and learning resources.

Agents can earn points on the platform when they complete training or make P&O Cruises bookings. Agent members can exchange points for a wide range of rewards, including shopping vouchers and P&O Cruises holidays.

Agents can earn up to 70 points when they make a Select Price booking. Select Price fares are available on every P&O Cruises' sailing and gives passengers a choice of cabin number and priority access for cabin upgrades.

"We sell a lot of Christmas cruises, with [P&O Cruises'] Aurora remaining a real favourite among our customers, and we also have a strong solo cruise market," Purnell said. "It's incredibly rewarding helping loyal guests secure their favourite cabin when new itineraries go on sale – it really demonstrates the loyalty people have to P&O Cruises.

“I’ll keep earning as many points as I can. I am currently renovating my kitchen, so my Shine Rewards Club points will go towards a new American-style fridge freezer."

She added: "Shine Rewards Club has helped me build my confidence and knowledge, which ultimately benefits my customers. I always encourage other agents to sign up, take the time to explore everything that is available and get involved with initiatives such as the Facebook Live sessions.”

P&O Cruises declined to tell TTG how many agents had surpassed the 100,000 point milestone, but did say Purnell's achievement was "impressive". "We don't see it all that often," a spokesperson for the line said.

Purnell has sailed on every ship in the P&O Cruises fleet apart from newest ship Arvia and has holidays booked on Ventura later this year, Aurora in 2027 and Britannia in 2028.

P&O Cruises Associate Vice President of Sales and Distribution, Ruth Venn, said: “Reaching 100,000 Shine Rewards Club points is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of Carrie’s passion and expertise.

“Our travel agent partners are at the heart of our business and Shine Rewards Club is designed to support them with engaging training, valuable rewards and the tools they need to confidently sell P&O Cruises."

She added: "We are delighted to celebrate this milestone with Carrie and thank her for her continued support. We look forward to seeing her continue her Shine Rewards Club journey.”