Janet Bava has been appointed as chief commercial officer of Windstar Cruises.

Bava has taken over from Betsy O’Rourke who has stepped down after three years in the role.

O’Rourke, who was also chief commercial officer of Windstar Cruises’ parent company Xanterra Travel Collection, has moved into a consultancy role with Xanterra.

Before her appointment, Bava was chief marketing officer at AmaWaterways, focused on increasing customer engagement across digital channels, managing social media and developing marketing tools to enhance trade partner relationships.

She has also held positions at Silversea Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando Resort.

In her new role, she will be responsible for “driving strategic growth initiatives and leading marketing, sales, reservations and deployment teams to elevate the company’s position in the global market”, the cruise line said.

She will report to president of Windstar Christopher Prelog.

“I am passionate about returning to small ship, luxury cruising; a category that has experienced tremendous growth in demand in the last few years,” said Bava.

“I am eager to build upon the exceptional work done by Betsy and further elevate the Windstar experience under Chris Prelog’s leadership.

“Magnify that with the Xanterra Travel Collection and the brand will continue to provide unparalleled experiences to our guests while driving innovation and growth in this exciting sector of the cruise industry.”

O’Rourke added: “I have been very fortunate to work with great brands, companies and people.

“I worked closely with Janet Bava during our time at Royal Caribbean International and witnessed first-hand her exceptional leadership and strategic vision.

“I am confident that she is the ideal choice to drive Windstar’s commercial success and help guide the cruise line to new heights.”