Crystal Ramps Up For Expansion By Hiring Silversea’s Sauleau

Crystal Cruises is continuing to snag top executives from other lines as part of an effort to staff up for its massive planned expansion in the luxury sector. The latest top executive to be hired is Christian Sauleau, most recently with Silversea Cruises, who is joining in a newly created role as senior vice president of operations and total guest satisfaction. 

Sauleau is a luxury cruise veteran who has served Silversea as executive vice president of fleet operations, overseeing marine, technical, hotel, crewing, entertainment, and land programs for the past eight years. Prior to that he served as executive vice president of operations at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, where he played a major role in the expansion of that line’s fleet, overseeing construction of new vessels. Sauleau also served as vice president of hotel operations at Royal Viking Line, where he supervised purchasing, entertainment, shore programs, and meet-and-greet services.  

Sauleau will report directly to Thomas Mazloum, Crystal’s chief operating officer, in his role overseeing Crystal’s departments of marine, hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, and land programs. He also will manage safety and security operations, as well as officer and crew hiring processes and development. 

Sauleau will support the line’s ocean cruises, but he’ll also oversee Crystal Yacht Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, and Crystal Exclusive Class ships. He will be working closely with Crystal’s teams in its Los Angeles headquarters and Miami branch office. 

“Christian Sauleau’s esteemed career boasts a wealth of industry savvy—much of it gleaned from working in direct competition with Crystal—as well as experience in launching new ships and innovative enrichment programs,” said Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez. 

Last year Crystal hired several Azamara Club Cruises executives, including Carmen Roig as senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bruce Setloff as vice president of global charters and special products, and Claudius Docekal as vice president of deployment.  

Crystal also hired Donald Mason as senior vice president of finance and strategic planning, Lyall Duncan as general counsel, and Helen Panagos as vice president of marketing and sales for Crystal Yacht Cruises. All three executives previously served with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL).  Before being hired as Crystal president, Rodriquez had served as senior vice president of sales and marketing for Azamara, a division of RCCL. 

Last summer Crystal embarked on the largest brand expansion in its history, or for any luxury cruise line for that matter, by introducing three new classes of cruising—the recently launched Crystal Yacht Cruises (December 2015), Crystal River Cruises (July 2016), Crystal Exclusive Class Ocean Cruises (fall 2019), Crystal Luxury Air (April 2016), and Crystal AirCruises (2017).