Gate 1 Travel · 3 days ago
Manager, Sea Cruise Product & Operations
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level
7+ years expGate 1 Travel is a well-established international tour operator serving primarily American and Canadian travelers. They are seeking an experienced small ship cruise professional to lead the development, launch, and ongoing operation of a new small-ship coastal cruise program.
HospitalityTourismTravel
Hiring Manager
Melissa Picariello
Responsibilities
Lead the planning, launch, and ongoing management of small ship cruise operations
Develop and refine itineraries, shore excursions, and destination programs aligned with North American guest expectations
Coordinate closely with ship management, marine officers, hotel operations, and shoreside teams
Ensure smooth weekly turnaround operations across multiple European and North African ports
Design a destination-rich, culturally immersive onboard and shore experience
Oversee standards for onboard service, dining concepts, enrichment programs, and shore excursions
Act as a senior point of escalation for guest experience and service quality issues
Ensure the cruise product reflects strong value, comfort, and authenticity, consistent with a 4-star small ship experience
Negotiate and manage relationships with regional offices, port agents, DMCs, and suppliers
Oversee contracting for shore excursions, port services, and logistics
Ensure compliance with local regulations, port requirements, and operational best practices
Develop and manage cruise operating budgets and cost controls
Collaborate with sales and marketing teams on pricing, positioning, and program launch strategy
Support charter planning, inventory management, and yield optimization
Work with marine and technical teams to ensure compliance with ISM, SOLAS, flag state, and port regulations
Support crisis management planning, operational contingencies, and guest safety protocols
Qualification
Required
7–10+ years of experience in small ship cruising and/or coastal cruise operations
Demonstrated experience operating ships in Europe, the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Baltics, Scandinavia, or similar regions
Strong understanding of North American cruise guest expectations (USA & Canada)
Proven ability to manage complex logistics across multiple international ports
Financial acumen with experience managing operating budgets
Excellent leadership, communication, and vendor negotiation skills
Willingness to travel internationally and spend time onboard during operations
Preferred
Experience with destination-focused or culturally immersive cruise brands
Prior work with premium small ship or coastal cruise operators
Familiarity with operating ships seasonally across multiple regions
Experience working within a tour operator environment (not cruise-only organizations)
Benefits
Competitive compensation package commensurate with experience
Performance-based incentives
Travel benefits
Company
Gate 1 Travel
Gate 1 Travel is a tour and tourism service provider company.
501-1000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Gate 1 Travel has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2021 (2)
2020 (4)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Nancy Hartford
Chief Operations Officer
Company data provided by crunchbase