Three Travel Agent Announcements From Windstar

Gloria BohanFrom the godmother of its newest ship to a new program for agents, Windstar Cruises recently rolled out a set of new announcements for the travel trade.

Gloria Bohan, CEO of Omega World Travel, has been announced as godmother of Windstar’s Star Legend.

A seasoned travel executive and entrepreneur, Bohan brings over four decades of experience, expertise, and knowledge to the travel industry. She is the founder of Omega World Travel, the largest travel agency founded, operated, and majority-owned by a woman. Bohan is a travel industry leader with expertise that crosses all aspects of travel including corporate, government, meetings, vacations, and cruises.

Windstar will unveil Star Legend on May 25 at a christening ceremony in Rome, hosted by Bohan as godmother. The ceremony involves a pier-side celebration and the maritime ceremony of naming and christening the ship.

In March Windstar announced female travel influencer Wendy Perrin as the godmother for Star Breeze, Windstar’s other addition to its fleet in 2015, which launches on May 6. Both Star Legend and Star Breeze underwent $8.5 million complete stem-to-stern renovations with new public spaces, suites, and dining venues. The addition of these vessels, as well as Star Pride that debuted in May of 2014, is allowing the company to cruise to new destinations in 2015 including Iceland, as well as year-round sailings in Tahiti.  

Windstar is also debuting a new program for travel agents, entitled the Rising Star’s Travel Agent Challenge.

The program gives top selling travel agents of Windstar’s new all-suite power yachts the chance to win a red carpet weekend in Hollywood during the 2015 Emmy Awards.

The top four agents who generate the most bookings on Windstar’s new all suite power yachts, Star Pride, Star Legend, and Star Breeze, between April 23 and July 31, will win a VIP experience over the weekend of September 20. The VIP weekend includes:

- Two tickets to the 2015 Emmy awards gala and pre-show
- Two nights at the Ritz Carlton Hotel
- Dinner for two on Saturday and Sunday night
- Transfers between airport, hotel, and ceremony
- Complimentary air credit from a Windstar gateway

The goal of the program is to drive bookings and brand awareness of the new to Windstar yachts, as well as to increase graduation from Windstar’s Travel Agent Academy. To learn more about the program and how to win, visit www.windstarcruises.com/RisingStars

Finally, Steven Simao has joined Windstar Cruises as vice president of travel agency sales.

Simao will oversee domestic and international sales for Windstar’s retail travel agency channel. He will report directly to Joe Duckett, vice president of marketing and sales for Windstar.

Simao has spent the last 20 years in the cruise industry, most recently as the director of international sales at Holland America Line and Seabourn, where he oversaw international sourcing for developing markets and managed the worldwide network of GSAs for both brands. During his tenure at Holland America, Simao also served as director of sales for the Western Division, where he achieved Sales Division of the Year in each of his last four years, as well as purser for Holland America’s annual Grand World Voyage.

Prior to his tenure with Holland America and Seabourn, Simao acted as chief purser at Norwegian Cruise Line. He started his career as the assistant manager of operations at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, PA, a regional theme park.

Simao graduated from Mansfield University with a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis on travel and tourism.  

Visit www.windstarcruises.com