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Travel Pulse's Interview with CEO Kyriakos Anastassiadis of Louis Cruises By Chloe Panayides
Mediterranean-based cruise operator Louis Cruises is heading into the New Year by getting ready for a repositioning. The company’s fleet of seven vessels visit ports spanning Piraeus in Athens, the Greek islands of Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini, and across the Turkish coast, from Istanbul to Izmir and Kusadasi. We spoke with Louis Cruises’ recently appointed CEO, Kyriakos (Kerry) Anastassiadis, about his company’s new strategy and plans to re-launch as a Hellenic cruise operator.
You were named CEO of Louis Cruises in January of this year. What was the mission you were given for this year and next?
I joined Louis Cruises when the company was at a crossroads. Twenty-six years after its official founding, Louis Cruises is aimed at repositioning itself as a niche specialist, operating cruises in its very own home waters, the eastern Mediterranean. As a result, my initial mission was to oversee the implementation of a strategic plan that was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers Miami, a specialist in cruising, which would restructure Louis Cruises in accordance with that direction, making it overall a slicker and more flexible entity. As such, the company’s headquarters were moved to Piraeus, Greece, and a revamped management team has been built to accommodate these parameters. Ten months later the move has been completed successfully, and Louis Cruises is now a smaller yet stronger cruise operator with a clear direction and a redesigned product that reflects our Hellenic roots. As of next year, Louis Cruises will be re-launched in the market as a Hellenic cruise operator that specializes in unique itineraries, ready to welcome the world to truly some of the most stunning Greek islands and the most enticing Turkish ports.
Can you elaborate on your redirected strategies for the line and objectives for the company?
Our new niche direction means that we are now aspiring to differentiate Louis Cruises from other cruise operators by stressing that we don’t just sail in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. Instead, we invite our passengers onboard to be introduced to our history, culture, civilization, sites and cuisine. In essence, we are extending our “filoxenia,” the Greek word for hospitality, which translates to making your guest into a new friend. Therefore, our product has been redesigned to ensure just that. All of our guests’ five senses are engaged: our passengers will see our sites, hear our music, taste our cuisine, smell the aromas of Greece and Turkey, and touch history. With this in mind, it is clear that our objective is singular: the establishment of Louis Cruises as the specialist for cruises in the eastern Mediterranean. We also want to elevate our name so that it becomes synonymous with an authentic cruising experience.
Continue reading interesting details of Louis Cruises by Chloe Panayides, go to: travelpulse.com
