Crystal Cruises names Matias Lira head of sales: Travel Weekly

Crystal Cruises named Silversea alum Matias Lira senior vice president of global sales and guest services.  

Lira, who most recently was vice president of passenger services and consumer sales for Silversea, will be based in Miami. 

“Matias Lira is a luxury cruise industry leader with expertise in developing relationships in global sales channels including trade, charters and meetings and incentive groups,” said Jack Anderson, president of Crystal Cruises, in a statement. “He appreciates the incredible value of travel advisors and will build strong relationships, working with reservations and sales support to keep the focus on guest satisfaction.”

Lira has held positions in Silversea’s consumer sales side since 2014. Prior to that, he worked in both direct consumer sales and shipboard with Norwegian Cruise Line, where he was a room service supervisor and restaurant manager. 

“I have long admired the innovative leadership and vision of Geoffrey Kent and Manfredi Lefebvre,” Lira said in a statement about the owners of A&K Travel Group, which purchased the Crystal Cruises brand and its two largest ships, the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, in June. “Under their ownership, Crystal Cruises is beginning a new and very exciting chapter. I am personally committed to rebuilding the travel partner relationships that made Crystal an industry leader and a favorite of guests and travel advisors alike with best-in-industry support.”

Under A&K, the ships are expected to return to service in 2023 after undergoing an extensive renovation. Lira said that he plans to work with the operations side “to bring back the personalized service that built the Crystal Cruises reputation in an even more elevated form. More spacious suites and public areas with fewer guests are designed to make it possible to deliver the very best cuisine and service at sea.”

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