Windstar Cruises is expanding and renaming the company's Customer Services department, including the appointments of Jaymi Fiveash as Senior Director of Vacation Planning and Andrew Ironstone as Director of Consumer Sales.
The name change from Guest Services to Vacation Planning is intended to better reflect the team's expertise in organizing Windstar vacations, as well as mark a fundamental shift in the group's approach.
“Instead of simply managing the guest booking process, the emphasis will now be on proactive sales, as well as the expertise to craft customized holidays for Windstar’s diverse customers and travel partners,” explains Janet Bava, Chief Commercial Officer at Windstar.
In the role of Senior Director of Vacation Planning, Fiveash assumes responsibility for overseeing inbound and outbound bookings, the passenger air program, onboard cruise advisors, and pre-cruise operations for guests.
With more than a decade of experience at Windstar, Fiveash's career path within the company encompasses several positions, starting as a Vacation Planner in Guest Services.
She will now create specialized teams for outside sales, inbound bookings, and a groups team to support the sales and marketing department. Onboard cruise advisors are also an important part of her vacation planning team. All of the vacation planners are U.S. residents who have sailed with Windstar and are very familiar with the brand.
“At Windstar, our goal is to offer the best vacation experience for each individual, whether that’s an all-inclusive package with airfare, hotel, transfers, drinks, excursions and other onboard services, or an à la carte experience created with you by a vacation planner,” says Fiveash.
Andrew Ironstone joins Windstar as Director of Consumer Sales, responsible for developing and leading the Consumer Reservations team to drive sales growth initiatives.
Ironstone will be responsible for establishing and cultivating relationships with new Windstar customers, as well as providing personalized booking experiences, such as connecting the company's most loyal customers with a Vacation Planner to guide them through the entire booking process.
Ironstone is an experienced professional in the cruise industry, having previously led outbound sales growth initiatives at Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
Recently, Andrew took charge of a team of over 100 sales agents at Princess Cruises, where he played a key role in ensuring the achievement of their monthly and annual sales targets.
“We are delighted to refocus our customer service operations as a new Vacation Planning team, combining Jaymi’s great experience, cultivated over years of commitment to Windstar Cruises, with Andrew’s experience in building and leading call center teams within the cruise industry,” Bava said.
Windstar recently announced the addition of two new ships to its Star Class fleet. The first of the two ships, the Star Seeker, currently under construction at the WestSEA shipyard, is expected to be delivered in December 2025, followed by the Star Explorer in December 2026.
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