Episode #5
She Chose a Cruise Over Her Quinceañera. Now She's a Cruise Line CCO.
At 15, she chose a one-week cruise over a big quinceañera party. Two decades later, she is the Chief Commercial Officer of one of the most distinctive cruise brands on the water. Janet Bava leads Windstar Cruises — small yacht-style ships built on the philosophy that bigger is not always better. In this episode, recorded live from Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, Janet shares her journey as a Cuban immigrant raised in Miami, a rejection from NCL that almost derailed her path, and two decades that took her from Royal Caribbean to Silversea to AmaWaterways and now to Windstar. We get into what is new at Windstar — the inaugural Alaska season for Star Seeker, upcoming journeys to Japan and Southeast Asia, the brand new Star Explorer arriving in Europe this year, and why Windstar's small ships can access rivers and coastlines larger cruise lines simply cannot reach. Plus, Janet answers the Hot Seat with an itinerary reveal that might be the most unique in the cruise industry this year. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tVQsONThGLk 0:00 — Welcome to Traveling with Denella & Friends 0:48 — Meet Janet Bava — Chief Commercial Officer of Windstar Cruises 1:54 — The Journey — Growing Up Cuban-American in Miami 3:06 — Studying International Business at FIU 5:15 — Rejected by NCL, Then a Call From Royal Caribbean in 2006 7:00 — Royal Caribbean, Silversea, AmaWaterways, and Windstar 8:56 — Why Culture Matters More Than Money 11:01 — What's New at Windstar 11:52 — Star Seeker's Inaugural Alaska Season 12:48 — Star Explorer — Windstar's New River-to-Ocean Ship 14:32 — Doing Summer in Europe Differently 15:41 — Tahiti — 40+ Years of Windstar History 16:32 — The Hot Seat — Choosing a Windstar Yacht 17:17 — Wind Star's Unmatched Southern Italy Itinerary 20:12 — Until We Travel Again CONNECT WITH JANET BAVA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbava/ WINDSTAR CRUISES Website: https://www.windstarcruises.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windstarcruises CONNECT WITH DENELLA RI'CHARD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/ Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/ Sponsorship inquiries: denella@travelingwithdenella.com ABOUT TRAVELING WITH DENELLA & FRIENDS Have you ever wondered how you can get paid to travel the world? Meet the people who do; yes, they really exist. Traveling with Denella & Friends is your insider look into the travel industry through real conversations with the leaders, innovators, and personalities who power it. Because travel is not a hobby; it is our career.
