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Celebrity Cruises to move EMEA operation to UK

Celebrity Cruises’ Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operation is to be run from the UK as part of the company’s ongoing restructure.

The tri-branded Royal Caribbean Cruises’ EMEA team for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara, was previously spread over several sites across the region and the team reported into Stuart Leven, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ vice president of EMEA and managing director.

Leven is now helping with the company restructure announced in November which could see non-sales departments at both Royal Caribbean International and Azamara move to the US.


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Jo Rzymowska, managing director and vice president of Celebrity Cruises’ for the UK, Ireland and Asia, will oversee the EMEA team from the UK.

Asia, which was previously run from the UK and was part of Rzymowska’s remit, will now be run from Australia and New Zealand.

Susan Bonner will head up the restructured team in Australia and New Zealand after a spell in Miami working with Celebrity’s special projects team.

Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president, sales, trade support and service, said: “Today we are announcing Jo and the UK and Ireland team will be leading the efforts of the EMEA team.”

Rzymowska said the shake-up would not take anything away from the dedicated UK and Ireland team.


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“The UK office is going to become EMEA and we are working through how the rest of the structure will work,” she said.

“We are definitely going to have a dedicated UK and Ireland sales team led by Claire Stirrup.”

The Americas – comprising US, Canada, Mexico and South America – will be managed and led by Ritzenthaler, and Keith Lane, vice president, field sales.

Mexico and South America will have a dedicated director reporting into Lane.

Previously, South America was part of Celebrity’s international office.

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