At Windstar Helm, Delaney Steers Toward Travel Agents

Delaney’s first day as president will be July 19.

When John Delaney takes over as the new president of Windstar on July 19, he will have two items on his agenda: getting to know his new staff and getting closer to the travel agency community. 

“The very first thing I’ll do, obviously, is to get to know the team in Seattle and on board the ships. But I also think I have a big initial opportunity to just improve relations with the trade,” he told Travel Market Report this morning. “A Windstar purchase needs the trade to help the consumer understand how we are a relevant choice, how sailing on a small ship can help folks get up close and personal. I want to get out and work with the trade to help folks understand that, as I’m not sure even the trade understands exactly what Windstar has done with these beautiful and intimate ships.”  

So expect to see him out on the road, reaching out to his existing friends in the industry and making new ones. “I’m a huge advocate of utilizing every form of trade training—from meetings in the office to webinars to media training to fams, more is always better. And there’s no better way to understand a product then to experience it firsthand.” 

The former senior vice president of global marketing and sales for Seabourn Cruise Line and industry veteran announced yesterday that he will join Windstar Cruises as its president. “The Windstar fleet is comprised of some of the most iconic ships in the world and this is a brand with deep roots and enormous potential,” he told TMR.

So why the switch? “I’d been with Carnival for 12 years and in my current role for five and a half, and I was really ready for something bigger. I really believe in small-ship cruising and think what Windstar has been able to do under Xanterra is truly exciting. I think we have a great opportunity to own that small ship niche and create something unique.”

As his competitors on the high seas grow bigger and bigger, Delaney said he sees the small size of Windstar’s ships as a competitive advantage that offers just what the market—and especially the younger and multigenerational market he hopes to attract—is looking for: unique and personal experiences, authentic land adventures, “intimacy and the ability to get into the nooks and crannies. It’s just a great way to see the world.”

Windstar’s Star Legend and Wind Star.

Delaney had been with Seabourn since 2011. Before that, he spent three years at Holland America in a variety of roles including vice president of revenue marketing, director of special projects at corporate audit services and manager of management advisory services. 

He also he spent six years at The Walt Disney Company as a financial analyst at the Disneyland Resort. After a brief stretch with Gateway Business, he returned to Disney as director, financial planning and analysis. 

Windstar Cruises, which sails six different ships, recently unveiled Star Promise, a new initiative aimed at making it easier for travel agents to sell the line’s six luxury yachts. Windstar created Star Promise after getting feedback from 15,000 travel agent partners.

Delaney’s experience at Seabourn is particularly relevant as he will take over a Windstar fleet whose most recent additions were acquired from Seabourn in 2014 and 2015. “It’s a terrific brand and particularly appropriate as I know half of the fleet so well,” he said.  

Plus, “it’s closer to my house. I live in downtown Seattle it’s a 10-minute walk from my house.”