Helen Beck is the Managing Director, Global Commercial for Windstar Cruises. Helen wishes that we still didn’t have to keep dispelling the old stereotypes about cruising and that non-cruising travellers would immediately see just what an amazing holiday option this is with a cruise line for every taste and style.
Find out what else she had to say in this week’s Talking Cruise.
What does your job involve?
As I oversee our commercial activities for all the markets outside of North America, I get to interact with many of our travel partners from around the world and visit in person periodically.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
I thoroughly enjoy figuring out how a market ticks so that we ensure we are approaching it the right way. For example, a Southern Hemisphere country like Australia has different booking and travel behaviours to say a Northern Hemisphere country like the UK.
Why do you think the travel industry is the best place to work?
That’s an easy question: what other industry gives you the chance to positively impact people’s holidays by creating and delivering amazing experiences that they have looked forward all year to enjoying.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
Finding enough time in the day to keep on top of everything – particularly when travelling in different time zones!
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
We are still a very small part of the overall travel industry – the cruise industry accounts for just 2% however that is also our greatest opportunity so increasing awareness about the joy of going on a cruise and busting the stereotypes that sadly still seem to exist continue to be our biggest challenges.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months?
Global climate change with weather pattern shifts leading to higher temperatures and encouraging travellers to look for destinations with more temperate climates. I think that this will be a slow game changer over the next 24 plus months.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
Sailing in the Mediterranean between November and April to enjoy the milder temperatures and visit amazing destinations out of season when they are typically quieter giving travellers opportunities to connect more with the locals and visit ‘must-see’ places like St Mark’s Basilica in Venice and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence without the queues.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try to implement this in your workplace?
Clearly it is incumbent upon all of us to travel as responsibly as we can and to that end, we reduce our overseas travel by using video calls as much as possible. As regards our ships, at Windstar we reduce fuel consumption through increased use of the three Wind Class ships’ sails and engines. When both wind and fuel are used together, the ships move quickly to their destination, conserving fuel in the process. All six ships use cleaner-burning fuel with lower sulphur content to minimize environmental impact. Each of the three Star Plus Class ships has been recently fitted with four new, NOX Tier III engines that run on cleaner fuel and significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
Who inspires you most and why?
Great question and really hard to answer! A British politician called Mo Mowlam who passed away from cancer quite a few years ago now. However she was an astonishing female powerhouse who was a significant contributor to the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland. She was the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and a chief negotiator whilst going through her treatment and memorably would take off her wig off in meetings when it was becoming uncomfortable plus wasn’t averse to using a few swear words unexpectedly. She is remembered for her ‘can do’, informal attitude and sense of irreverence which I think are great qualities!
What is your must-pack travel item(s)?
Travel adaptor and charger!
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
So I would like to invite a combination of some of my very dear girl friends and my sister who are fabulous fun to travel with plus Hugh Jackman (a longstanding secret crush on him!), Tom Hiddleston (addicted to watching him dance to Boney M’s Rasputin!), Ryan Reynolds (just because he and his mate bought a completely unknown Welsh football club) – obviously all without their significant others as this is a dream bubble holiday! And we’d sail on Star Breeze in Tahiti on a 15 night itinerary in June 2026 visiting the Society Islands, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji – how marvellous would that be!
