Dreamlines-Cruise1st Group appoints new chief to usher in ‘next phase of growth’

Dreamlines-Cruise1st Group has appointed Nishank Gopalkrishnan as chief executive officer.

Gopalkrishnan joined the cruise specialist agency on July 1 and most recently worked at Tui for seven years, including as chief commercial officer for the operator’s tours and activities business Tui Musement.

Prior to that, he was chief executive of travel start-up Triposo and held positions at India’s largest travel agency MakeMyTrip.

Online travel agent Dreamlines was founded in 2012 and has established a presence in key cruise markets outside of the US, such as the UK, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.

The German cruise specialist company acquired the Manchester-based Cruise1st in 2018 for an undisclosed sum.

It offers a range of cruises together with its Dreamlines Packages and Cruise1st Tours which combine extras such as return flights, hotel stays, transfers and guided tours.

Maarten Esser, chairman of the Dreamlines-Cruise1st Group advisory board, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Nishank to the Dreamlines-Cruise1st Group.

“His strategic insight and drive for innovation make him exceptionally well-suited to guide us into the next phase of growth.

“Nishank’s diverse experience across OTAs, travel content, tour operators, and platform businesses will be instrumental in advancing our digital transformation and enhancing our customer experience across key markets in Europe and Australia.”

Gopalkrishnan added: “I’m thrilled to join the Dreamlines-Cruise1st Group.

“The cruise industry is experiencing strong tailwinds in terms of demand, and at Dreamlines we have an incredible opportunity to leverage AI in meaningful ways to elevate the customer experience and optimise our operating model.

“I look forward to working closely with the team to lead us into this exciting phase of growth.”