OCEANIA Cruises President Frank Del Rio Jr has stepped down after more than 20 years with the business founded by his father, Frank Del Rio Sr.
The move comes just a month after Oceania’s former leader, Jason Montague (pictured), was announced to return to the cruise line’s parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) as its newly appointed Chief Luxury Officer (CW 07 Jan).
The new role sees Montague head up Oceania, NCLH’s premium brand, as well as its luxury sister marque Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC).
However the new leadership structure apparently only lasted a matter of days, with Montague having started his new role Mon.
The new NCLH CLO said he wished the best for Del Rio Jr in his next professional chapter.
“Both Frank and his father, our company’s founder, have left an enduring legacy on Oceania Cruises and the broader industry,” Montague said in a statement issued to travel partners.
“I want to personally thank Frank for his outstanding stewardship of the brand, positioning it for an incredibly bright future, and for assembling an exceptional leadership team.”
The leadership change means there will be no member of the Del Rio family involved with cruise line it helped found.
Oceania and RSSC will together see five new ships join their respective fleets by 2029 (CW 09 Apr), beginning with the former brand’s newest vessel Allura, later this year (CW 02 Jul).
Alongside the Del Rio family, Montague played a key role in the formation of Oceania in 2003, and has since held a variety of senior roles with the line. ML
