Swan Hellenic picks sales director to front ad team

Premium cruise line Swan Hellenic has handed marketing duties to its sales director Andrew Magowan following the planned departure of marketing director Carolanne Dieleman.

Marketing and brand delivery director Dieleman is leaving the company, owned by Carnival UK, for personal reasons. She joined Swan Hellenic as sales director in February 1998 from the position of general manager at Irish specialist operator CIE Tours. Magowan was transferred to the company from sister line Cunard earlier this year.

Dieleman oversaw a pitch for Swan Hellenic’s £3m marketing account, which included the cruise line’s £1m advertising business, this summer (MW June 17).

The account was awarded to Edge Ideas, the agency launched by Ron Leagas in 1998, which has since developed the strapline “See the world from a different point of view” for the cruise line.

Swan Hellenic is doubling the number of berths for next year and Magowan says that he will bolster the marketing team by appointing a marketing manager.

Cruising is rising in popularity with UK holidaymakers and bookings topped 1 million for the first time in 2003. The market is segmenting with products ranging from the traditional luxury cruise to less formal, more active offerings from cruise lines such as Ocean Village and Island Cruises.

Premium cruise operator Silversea Cruises recently appointed actress and former Lancôme model Isabella Rossellini as its brand ambassador (MW October 21).