Crystal Cruises’ President Gregg Michel announces the promotion of Thomas Mazloum to senior vice president, operations.

Mazloum, who has served as Crystal’s senior vice president, hotel operations, since 2003 assumed the responsibilities for the fleet’s marine operations this month with the March 31 retirement of Joe Valenti, Crystal’s senior vice president, marine operations.

As head of hotel operations for award-winning Crystal Cruises, Mazloum’s responsibilities include the supervision of Crystal’s food and beverage, entertainment, quality assurance, land programs, service training, onboard guest services and profit centers, and purchasing department.  In Mazloum’s new role he will also oversee the ships’ technical and nautical operations, regulatory compliance, safety and security, environmental stewardship, and seagoing personnel.

“Thomas’ creative vision, communication skills and unfailing dedication to service have contributed greatly to Crystal Cruises’ achievement of winning World’s Best Ship awards year after year,” says Michel.  “I am confident that under his direction, Crystal will continue to be a leader in exceptional service delivery, as well as safety, security and environmental standards.”

Austrian-born Thomas Mazloum began his cruise industry career at Crystal Cruises with the 1990 launch of the line’s first ship, Crystal Harmony, in Nagasaki, Japan.  In the following nine years, he was rapidly promoted to various food and beverage, land programs and hotel operations positions within Crystal.  At age 29, he became the line’s youngest-ever hotel director. Mazloum left Crystal in 1999 to be part of the inaugural team and serve as hotel director for Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder eventually leading to the position general manager for Epcot® at Walt Disney World®.

Mazloum returned to Crystal Cruises in 2002 as vice president, hotel operations and was promoted to senior vice president within a year, prior to the launch of Crystal Serenity.

In addition to his cruise industry expertise, Mazloum has an extensive European hotel background and has completed continuing education at Cornell University, the Hotel School of Lausanne and the Hotel School of Salzburg.  His degree in hotel management and administration was received in Innsbruck, Austria.

Crystal Cruises is the winner of the hospitality industry’s most coveted awards, including being voted World’s Best Large Cruise Line by the readers of Travel + Leisure (for 14 consecutive years), Best Large-Ship Cruise Line by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine (for 16 years), and Crystal Serenity is the highest rated large ship in the latter magazine’s February 2010 issue.