Industry insiders are speculating where he'll go next.
'I've been taking some time off but I'm certainly open to entertaining opportunities,' Setloff said from his home in Las Vegas. 'I've had offers but I'm sitting back for awhile.'
Insurance companies to lifestyle groups
Setloff reckons he's handled charters for every major automotive company, finance company and insurance company, as well as the booming area of lifestyle groups.
During three years at Crystal, where he'd been hired by past president and CEO Edie Rodriguez to boost charter sales as the brand expanded, he nailed dozens of charters, from the 'big' ships (Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony) to the Crystal Esprit yacht and the river vessels. Setloff also brokered the first charter of private jet Crystal Skye, the company's custom-built Boeing 777-200LR configured to carry just 88 travelers.
An icon of charter sales
Rodriguez, now Americas brand chairman and corporate special adviser, Ponant, called Setloff an 'icon' in cruise charter sales.
'I have worked with him and hired him at a few cruise companies and he has always exceeded every target, goal and profit projection given to him, all while building excellent relationships and both guest and customer satisfaction,' Rodriguez said.
'He has many options available to him for his next executive position,' she added. 'I’m certain that he will make a wise choice based on the right fit for himself. Any company will be lucky to get him.'
Before Crystal, Setloff led charter and incentive sales at Azamara Club Cruises, and prior to that, he was a founding team member at SeaDream Yacht Club, where a whopping 30% to 40% of the business came from charters.
At both lines, he worked closely with president and CEO Larry Pimentel, who said he and Setloff collaborated on more than 500 charter deals.
'As a seller, Bruce is stellar,' Pimentel quipped. 'He is an extraordinary seller in a niche practice and has performed in a league of his own.'
Most memorable charter
It was at Azamara that Setloff arranged his most memorable charter, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic. In April 2012, Azamara Journey sailed to the ocean liner's final resting place, remaining for three days to receive live video feeds of the wreck from a remotely operated underwater vehicle deployed from an expeditionary ship alongside. The footage was broadcast to news outlets around the world.
Setloff sailed on that charter, which he called 'pretty chilling ... pretty cool.' Descendants of Titanic victims were aboard.
Before helping launch SeaDream in 2001, Setloff oversaw worldwide charter and incentive sales at Seabourn/Cunard in Miami for five years.
'Our small department was nicknamed "the dream team" because of the high volume of charter revenue we generated for the company,' said Judy Perl, a former colleague who now runs her own agency, Judy Perl Worldwide Travel in New York City, where she holds the 'trifecta' of charters with Setloff, as he put it—a big ship, a yacht and a river vessel.
Operations background
'One of the things Bruce is most adept in is his ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions most people would never consider,' Perl related. 'For example, because of his extensive background in ship operations, he would find a way to split up a voyage into two segments to accommodate twice the number of passengers, or he'd reposition two ships to sail in tandem to increase the ship capacity.
'Bruce is one of the most well-respected professionals in the cruise industry,' Perl said, 'and we collaborate on new business opportunities whenever possible.'
Royal Cruise Line
Though he's now most identified with charters, Setloff started out in hotel operations. He spent 19 years at Royal Cruise Line in San Francisco, overseeing passenger services, hotel operations, shore excursions and entertainment.
His heart belongs to Royal, but what he's proudest of is 'the repeat (charter) business I've had over the years. It's a partnership,' Setloff said.
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