Swan Hellenic, the reborn British cruise brand, is opening a North America office in Fort Lauderdale with a dedicated call center.
The North America operation is headed by General Manager Tom Russell, who was previously president of Cruise & Travel Executives, COO of Global Voyages Group and COO and managing director of North America for Silversea Cruises.
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Joining him is Mitchell Schlesinger as sales director-North America; his previous experience includes leading sales activities of Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Line and Voyages to Antiquity.
Andrea Corman will serve as customer relations director and previously worked in guest services with Voyages to Antiquity, Uniworld River Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
Nick Giersdorf joins Swan Hellenic as marketing and digital director. He formerly was chief marketing technology officer at Global Voyages Group.
The company said it has ordered three ice-class expedition ships from Helsinki Shipyard, Finland. The first ship, SH Minerva, is scheduled to set sail for Antarctica in November 2021, while the second will embark on its maiden voyage in April 2022. They will accommodate 152 passengers, while the third order is for a 192-passenger vessel due out by the end of 2022.
“Historically, North America was always one of Swan Hellenic’s most enthusiastic markets, so we’re delighted to welcome such an accomplished team to once again support it with the high standards of service our heritage demands,” said Alfredo Spadon, Swan Hellenic’s senior vice president-global sales and marketing.
