Chris Theophilides, CEO of Celestyal Cruises, has been named Cruise Industry Person of the Year at the “2022 Seatrade Cruise Awards”, which took place in Malaga during Seatrade Cruise Med.
The Cruise Industry Person of the Year award is given to the professional who has gone above and beyond their work in their company or sector, representing the best in their field and embodying the values that Seatrade is proud to praise.
According to Mary Bond, group director at Seatrade Cruise, Chris Theophilides is a well-deserved winner of the award due to his strength and profound leadership, which have enabled Celestyal to become a leader in midsize cruise lines and offer authentic experiences that complement its Greek roots. She highlighted his strengths in strategic planning and fundraising, which have allowed Celestyal to secure its investment, part of which has been allocated to fleet renewal. Celestyal contributes more than €100 million to the local Greek economy in a typical operating year, but the company was also praised for its active implementation of sustainable tourism. One example of this is its new shore excursion program, “Authentic Encounters,” which is intimate, immersive, and practical; a program that offers unique and off-the-beaten-path experiences to small groups of guests in order to protect the character of the places Celestyal visits.
Regarding the award, Chris Theophilides said: “At a time when the resilience of the entire cruise industry was being tested, it is a true honor to receive Seatrade Cruise’s 2022 Cruise Industry Person of the Year award. Our industry is fortunate to have an extraordinary team of exceptional professionals at all levels. Working alongside them to deliver sound management during turbulent times has been a privilege, and being recognized for it is a great honor. Like all successes in life, this recognition is a team effort, largely the result of the hard work of the entire Celestyal team, to whom I express my gratitude for their unwavering passion and dedication.”.
