FAIRFIELD — Riviera River Cruises, the largest European river cruise operator in the U.K., has appointed Marilyn Conroy as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for North America.
In her new role, Conroy will oversee a team of Regional Sales Directors at Riviera, which has an office in Fairfield, Connecticut. Six months ago, the company retained David Morris International, where Conroy is Executive Vice President, to assist with growth in North America.
Due to the positive feedback from the travel agent community, Conroy has taken on sales and marketing of Riviera in Connecticut on a full-time basis.
“We’re thrilled to have Marilyn Conroy as our new Vice President of Sales and Marketing as we continue our expansion in North America,” said Jana Tvedt, Riviera River Cruises’ Executive Vice President. “She brings a wealth of expertise in the cruise industry and a proven record for growth, and we look forward to her leadership in our sales efforts.”
Conroy is a travel industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience in cruise line sales and marketing. She spent 20 years with Cunard, starting in the hotel division and later joining the shipping division, which at the time had a fleet of 17 vessels that included the Queen Elizabeth 2. She rose to become Vice President of Sales at Cunard Line, making her the youngest and only female Vice President in the cruise industry.
Conroy later joined Crystal Cruises as Vice President of Sales in 1995, and Silversea Cruises as Vice President of Sales in 2004 before being promoted to Silversea’s Senior Vice President of Sales. Eight years ago, Conroy and her business partner David Morris formed David Morris International, assisting niche cruise lines in launching their product in the North American market.
Riviera River Cruises is entering its 11th year of operations, and offers 13 itineraries on nine rivers and waterways that include spacious cabins and suites, four-course dinners and expert-led excursions. It currently boasts a fleet of 12 ships, 6 of which were launched in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, the company will launch the MS George Eliot and MS William Wordsworth.
