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Scenic Group USA makes sales, marketing changes

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From left, Elizabeth Fettes, VP sales; Robert Castro, VP marketing; and Kayla Corbett, director of key & strategic accounts
Scenic Group USA promoted Robert Castro to VP marketing and appointed Elizabeth Fettes to VP sales and Kayla Corbett to director of key & strategic accounts.

Ann Chamberlin, current VP sales, and Richard Hickey, senior director of key accounts, will be leaving the company.

Capacity growth and higher sales expectations

In 2023 Scenic will double its ocean yacht capacity with ths month's delivery of Scenic Eclipse II and the upcoming delivery of Emerald Sakara. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours also operates Scenic Eclipse and 13 river vessels while Emerald Cruises fields Emerald Azzurra and nine river vessels.

A significant increase in customer sourcing is expected from the US, South America and Central America, according to Ken Muskat, managing director, Scenic Group USA.

This will come from 'aggressive marketing efforts and further penetration into the very important trade distribution to share our distinctive vacation experience. These key appointments further elevate our leadership team, putting us in a strong position to achieve these goals, Muskat said.

Robert Casto

Castro, who joined Scenic Group USA as senior director of marketing in early 2022, has served as acting head of marketing since Maggie Carbonell left late last year. He has more than a decade of cruise experience from Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises and has worked with HBO and Hard Rock International. He reports to Muskat.

Elizabeth Fettes

Fettes most recently served as chief sales & marketing officer for Premier Worldwide Marketing, where she led the design, development and delivery of turnkey sales and marketing solutions for hotels in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. She also brings cruise experience from Royal Caribbean International and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Fettes will oversee US and Latin America sales via the company’s trade distribution network, sales support & trade partnerships, charter and MICE business and groups. She also reports to Muskat.

Kayla Corbett

Corbett will report to Fettes as director of key & strategic accounts. Most recently senior manager, key accounts at Norwegian Cruise Line, she began her cruise career working onboard ships as a loyalty and future cruise sales associate and a port shopping consultant. Coming shoreside, she worked as a business development manager in the New York and New England region for MSC Cruises; as charters, incentive & future voyage sales manager for Virgin Voyages; and corporate sales manager for the Midwest and Latin America for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Recruiting for two roles

Scenic Group USA is currently searching for a senior director of field sales to report to Fettes and an associate director of consumer and brand marketing to report to Castro.

Ann Chamberlin and Richard Hickey acknowledged

Muskat thanked Chamberlin and Hickey for their 'years of contribution and dedication to Scenic Group USA, especially during the COVID pandemic shutdown, the most difficult time the cruise industry has ever experienced.' He wished them luck in their future endeavors.