VOICE OF LUXURY
VOICE LUXURY Ů MARK TAMIS
president, Seabourn The luxury line’s new president
sits down with Erica Rich to discuss his first seven months in the role
Q. Tell us about your background before joining Seabourn. I’ve always been in hospitality. I did 15 years at Four Seasons, 10 years with [hotelier] Ian Schrager and then I was in cruising. I did five years with Carnival Cruise Line and seven with Royal Caribbean. After that, I ran a hotel company before coming back to cruise. I definitely missed it. I think some of the most impactful [experiences] and the most fun I’ve had at work have been in cruise.
Q. What were your key focuses coming into the role? For me, it was about listening, so the first thing I did was meet the trade, both in the UK and in the US. We have advisory boards in both regions so I spent time with them. I wanted to hear from their perspective what’s great, what they understand Seabourn to be, what we need to keep doing and what they think needs to be changed. After that, I went on the ships. So far I’ve sailed on Venture, Encore, Quest and Sojourn. When I was on board I spent time with guests and the team and asked the same questions so I could really understand the different perspectives.
Q. What were your main takeaways from that exercise? It was overwhelmingly positive – especially from a trade perspective. [The message was] to continue to elevate luxury; be a bit more focused, really understand what is most important from a guest perspective; and really lean into what differentiates us in
the luxury space. Certainly, when it comes to expedition, we’re very different because we truly are the only brand where you don’t have to choose between luxury and expedition. But from an ocean-going perspective, although there’s many unique aspects and attributes to Seabourn, the message was to focus on what we can do to differentiate and, most importantly, don’t lose the connection between our team on board the ships and the guests.
Q. How has 2025 been so far? From a trade perspective, we are well booked for this year and almost sold out, and we’re in a better booked position for 2026 than we’ve ever been going into a year. I think [that’s down to] consistency of product and cruising in general. Travel has rebounded so incredibly well post-pandemic, but cruising in the luxury space continues to offer incredible value when you compare it to land-based alternatives.
Q. Which destinations are selling well this year? With expedition, obviously being in [places such as] the Antarctic, Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and the Northwest Passage is fantastic. Those are bucket-list destinations to visit. Japan also continues to be such a popular destination. We’re there this year and leaning in even more next year. We have itineraries in Japan that go to more than 20 different ports, which is an incredible way to really
82
ASPIRE JUNE 2025
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105
