Windstar Cruises, a Miami-based luxury yacht-style cruise line, has recently made two major leadership changes.
Janet Bava will become the new Chief Commercial Officer of Windstar Cruises, effective July 24, 2023. Betsy O'Rourke, CCO of Windstar since 2020 and CCO of Windstar's parent company, Xanterra Travel Collection, since 2012, will move into a consulting role with Xanterra and its owner, The Anschutz Corporation, as well as participate in external Board opportunities.
Christopher Prelog, who will celebrate three years as President of Windstar after a long career in naval operations, says: “This is a very heartwarming and energizing development for all of us at Windstar Cruises. We couldn’t be happier for Betsy and her success, and to continue having access to her wisdom and advice, while also enthusiastically welcoming cruise industry veteran Janet Bava, who previously worked with Betsy at Royal Caribbean, aboard.”
Janet Bava will be responsible for driving strategic growth initiatives, leading the marketing, sales, reservations and deployment teams to further elevate the company's position in the global market.
“I am passionate about returning to luxury cruising with small ships, a category that has seen tremendous growth in demand in recent years. As Windstar’s new Chief Commercial Officer, I look forward to building on Betsy’s exceptional work and further elevating the Windstar experience under Chris Prelog’s leadership. Adding the Xanterra Travel Collection to this, the brand will continue to provide unparalleled experiences for our guests, while driving innovation and growth in this exciting segment of the cruise industry,” said Bava.
Previously, Bava was Director of Marketing for AmaWaterways in California. She was a key strategic leader for global luxury river cruise operations and increased customer engagement across all digital channels by developing new distribution channels and relevant content. This led to increased brand awareness and preference among travel advisors and both new and existing customers. Bava leveraged the emerging social media landscape and developed new marketing tools to enhance and strengthen relationships with business partners through account groups and national consortia.
She was Vice President of Marketing (Americas) from 2016 to 2018 at Silversea Cruises Ltd. in Miami. She worked with the CMO on a global marketing restructuring and the successful launch of the new brand campaign to reposition Silversea as the world leader in luxury small-ship ocean and expedition cruises. Bava was also integral to the launch of the cruise line's flagship, Silver Muse, and responsible for all communications, media, trade marketing, and event planning for the Americas region.
From 2014 to 2016 she was Director of CRM and Customer Engagement at NBCUniversal, Inc – Universal Parks & Resort in Orlando, expanding its capabilities and support teams for digital customer relationship management initiatives.
O'Rourke had been Chief Commercial Officer for all brands at Xanterra Travel Collection, Windstar's parent company, since 2012 and took over oversight of Windstar's commercial functions in early 2020. O'Rourke led a reimagined marketing, sales, revenue management, and reservations team while navigating the global pandemic and relaunching half the fleet following the $250 million stretch and rebuild of the Star Class yachts.
Prior to Xanterra, O'Rourke was Senior Vice President of Marketing at Royal Caribbean International, where she promoted Bava, a member of her team, to Director of Direct Marketing and Customer Experience Communications. O'Rourke has also led marketing and communications teams at Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels, and the US Travel Association.
Reflecting on his decision to join Windstar, Bava acknowledged the remarkable foundation laid by O'Rourke in shaping the company's brand identity and driving its commercial success. Bava says he eagerly anticipates the opportunity to build upon this strong framework and looks forward to leveraging the collective expertise of the entire Windstar team under the leadership of President Chris Prelog.
“I have been very fortunate to work with great brands, companies, and people, and I collaborated closely with Janet Bava during our time at Royal Caribbean International, witnessing firsthand her exceptional leadership and strategic vision. I am confident that she is the ideal choice to drive Windstar’s commercial success and help guide the cruise line to new heights,” said O’Rourke.
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