Former Peter Deilmann sales head Claire Hancer has become UK sales director of a luxury French cruise line.
She is to raise the trade profile of Compagnie du Ponant, based at its parent company’s office in London.
The company runs three small vessels and is adding a larger 264-passenger ship next year.
Itineraries planned for 2010 are to the Baltic, the Black Sea, Dalmatian Coast; Iceland and the Aegean and Adriatic Seas.
Hancer, who has also worked at Royal Caribbean International, will be responsible for implementing all UK sales activity, progressing and maintaining relationships with the travel trade and MICE market.
Executive vice president sales and marketing Eric Lustman said: “We are confident that Claire’s skills and travel industry experience will contribute greatly to both our UK and international sales objectives, creating further awareness of our unique product.
“Currently we operate three top of the line, French flag ships – the intimate, three-masted sailing ship Le Ponant, the 90-passenger yacht Le Levant and the expedition ship Le Diamant.
“May 2010 will see the launch of Le Boréal (and later L’Austral). These two luxury sister-ships will offer unparalleled levels of comfort and refined living, sailing to exciting new destinations.”
The 140m ‘super-yacht’ Le Boréal will set sail on a seven-night inaugural voyage on May 6 from Marseilles to Nice.
by Phil Davies
