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CELESTYAL CRUISES EXPANDS NATIONAL NORTH AMERICAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM TO SERVE RETAIL AND WHOLESALE PARTNERS.
Celestyal Cruises, the award-winning, number one choice for cruise travelers to the Greek Islands and the Mediterranean, has announced the appointment of a new business development manager for the Northeast U.S and the creation of a new director of national accounts position. Bentlie Logan has been appointed to the position of business development manager, Northeast USA/Canada. Kelly Predmesky, who has served as business development manager, southeastern U.S. since 2018, has been promoted to the new position of director of national accounts. She will continue to look after her accounts in the southeastern region while assuming her new and expanded role as director of national accounts. Predmesky will now be tasked with replicating her success in the southeast across the country to build upon and grow long-lasting, profitable and successful partnerships with travel agencies, consortia, wholesalers and tour operators.
Based in Connecticut, Logan will be responsible for growing Celestyal’s footprint in the Northeast U.S. and Canada as well as developing the company’s distribution in key travel agent, group and tour operator channels, maximizing trade awareness, travel advisor training, development of cooperative marketing plans and representing the company at important industry events. Logan will report to Gordon Dirker, vice president business development for North America. Prior to joining Celestyal Cruises, Logan worked as a business development manager for Ships Group in Miami, Florida. She previously spent more than five years as a travel advisor in Louisiana and California.
“I am thrilled to have Bentlie join our growing business development team and to welcome Sofia to our groups team to further serve our travel advisor partners in the important North American market. At the same time, I am extremely pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of Kelly to the new role of director of national accounts,” said Gordon Dirker, vice president of business development, North America, Celestyal Cruises. “As travel rebounds, and as Celestyal returns to year-round sailing, we are seeing increasing demand for our cruises in the Greek Isles and Mediterranean, and with our now expanded business development team in the U.S. and Canada we are even better positioned to meet this growing demand and to assist our travel advisor partners grow their business.”
Celestyal has also announced an addition to its groups department. Sofia Baliou has joined Celestyal Cruises in the position of group agent, reporting to Vicky Motaki in the revenue management department. In this position, Baliou will be exclusively focused on servicing the growing group market. She will also be tasked with maximizing group revenues, handling pricing, inventory, and technology for this important segment of Celestyal’s business. Baliou most recently worked at My Mykonos Hotel – Hotel Brain as a front office agent and prior to that as a front office agent at O&B Athens boutique hotel.
In addition, Celestyal has appointed Theodora Damaskinou to the position of travel administrator for its shore excursion department based at the company’s headquarters in Piraeus, Greece. Reporting to Natasha Bakatselou, manager, travel experience center, Damaskinou will be responsible for assisting travel advisors and their clients with all matters related to shore excursions, tours, pre- and post-cruise transportation, and accommodation. Damaskinou has more than 30 years of experience in the travel industry, most recently with Versus Travel and previously with Athena Tours.
Celestyal has also expanded its North American contact center with additional staff and has increased the contact center operating hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday, to serve both travel advisors and guests alike.
