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Windstar Cruises, a luxury yacht-style cruise line based in Miami, has announced two important leadership changes.
Janet Bava is Windstar Cruises’ new chief commercial officer as of July 24. Betsy O’Rourke, the CCO for Windstar since 2020 and the CCO of Windstar’s parent company Xanterra Travel Collection since 2012, will move to a consultancy role with Xanterra and its ownership, The Anschutz Corporation, as well as engage in outside board opportunities.
“This is a very comforting and energizing evolution for all of us at Windstar Cruises,” said Christopher Prelog, who will be celebrating three years as president of Windstar in September after a long-standing career in ship operations. “We couldn’t be happier for Betsy and her success, and to still have access to her wisdom and counsel, while at the same time enthusiastically welcoming cruise industry veteran Janet Bava onboard, who previously worked with Betsy at Royal Caribbean.”
By all accounts Windstar is more successful than ever in its history with a fleet of three all-suite luxury ships and three sailing yachts, taking 148 to 342 guests on immersive experiences across the globe to both iconic and small ports where big ships can’t reach.
Bava will be responsible for driving strategic growth initiatives, leading marketing, sales, reservations, and deployment teams to further elevate the company’s position in the global market.
“I am passionate to return to small ship, luxury cruising, a category that has experienced tremendous growth in demand in the last few years. As the new chief commercial officer at Windstar, I am eager to build upon the exceptional work done by Betsy and further elevate the Windstar experience under Chris Prelog’s leadership. Magnify that with the Xanterra Travel Collection and the brand will continue to provide unparalleled experiences to our guests while driving innovation and growth in this exciting sector of the cruise industry,” Bava said.
Prior to this, Bava was the chief marketing officer at AmaWaterways in California. She served as one of the company’s strategic leaders of global luxury river cruise operations and increased customer engagement across all digital channels by developing new distribution channels and relevant content that led to an increase in brand awareness and preference among new and existing travel advisors and guests. Bava also leveraged the emerging social media landscape and developed new marketing tools to enhance and strengthen trade partner relationships across national account and consortia groups.
She was vice president, Marketing (Americas) from 2016 to 2018 with 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 a global leader in luxury small-ship ocean and expedition cruising. Bava also was an integral part of 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 the director CRM & Customer Engagement at NBCUniversal, Inc – Universal Parks & Resort in Orlando expanding capabilities and teams supporting digital customer relationship management initiatives.
O’Rourke had been the chief commercial officer across all brands for Xanterra Travel Collection, Windstar’s parent company, since 2012 and picked up oversight of the commercial functions of Windstar 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 stretching and rebuild of the Star Class yachts.
Before Xanterra, O’Rourke was senior vice president of Marketing at Royal Caribbean International where she promoted Bava, who was part of her team, to manager, Direct Marketing & Customer Experience Communications. O’Rourke’s career also included leading marketing and communications teams at Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels and the US Travel Association.
Reflecting on the decision to join Windstar, Bava acknowledged the remarkable foundation built by O’Rourke in shaping the company’s brand identity and driving its commercial success. Bava said she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to build upon this strong framework and is looking forward to leveraging the collective expertise of the entire Windstar team under the direction of president Chris Prelog.
“I have been very fortunate to work with great brands, companies, and people and worked closely with Janet Bava during our time at Royal Caribbean International, and I have witnessed firsthand her exceptional leadership and strategic vision,” O’Rourke said. “I am confident that she is the ideal choice to drive Windstar’s commercial success and help guide the cruise line to new heights.”
For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com.
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