Silversea has appointed Celebrity Cruises’ Nicola McNeish as senior director of sales, UK and Ireland, effective from the end of September 2026

Reporting to Andreas Nuessel, Silversea’s managing director, UK and EMEA, McNeish will lead Silversea’s UK and Ireland trade sales strategy, strengthening the brand’s relationships with UK trade partners while bolstering its position within the luxury cruise market.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in travel and cruise distribution, most recently as director of sales at Celebrity Cruises, where she led the UK and Ireland sales organisation, overseeing sales, trade marketing, trade support, training, partnerships, and events.

Earlier in her career with Celebrity Cruises and Thomas Cook Group, McNeish held roles spanning national accounts, strategic account management, product optimisation, and change management.

A spokesperson for Silversea said: “Nicola is well known across the UK & Ireland travel trade for her commercial acumen and senior industry relationships.

“Nicola’s appointment reflects Silversea’s continued commitment to strengthening relationships with travel partners across the UK & Ireland. Her extensive experience working within and alongside the travel trade brings first-hand insight, as the brand continues to place tremendous value on this important channel.”

It comes after Silversea appointed former Azamara president Carol Cabezas as its senior vice president of global sales last October.

In her new role, Cabezas reports to the line’s president Bert Hernandez and oversees the brand’s global sales organisation, including trade and consumer sales, call centres, and e-commerce.