Victory Cruise Lines Names De Souza VP of Sales for Great Lakes
Victory said De Souza will work alongside Bob Salmon, the line's current vice president of sales, who plans to retire in 2027; no start date was provided.
Victory Cruise Lines has appointed Cristienne (Cris) Nicole De Souza as vice president of sales, putting her in charge of sales strategy for the line’s Great Lakes cruise business. Her portfolio includes travel advisor partnerships, national accounts, host agencies, consortia, group sales, charter opportunities, affinity programs and direct sales channels.
De Souza will work with the leadership team on distribution expansion, advisor relationships, demand generation and revenue performance.
“Cris brings an extraordinary depth of cruise industry expertise, a proven record of revenue growth, and longstanding relationships throughout the travel advisor community,” said David William Kelly, president and COO of Victory Cruise Lines. Kelly said her leadership would be “instrumental” as the company continues developing its Great Lakes guest product.
Victory did not provide a start date for De Souza, details of her previous roles or a statement from De Souza in the announcement. The company also did not announce any changes to its itineraries, fleet or advisor programs tied to the appointment.
The current Victory Cruise Lines was revived in 2024 by founder John Waggoner after he acquired Victory I and Victory II from bankrupt American Queen Voyages. The ships, both built in 2001 and originally named Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light, were refurbished in 2024 before Victory’s April 2025 return to service. The brand has an earlier operating history on the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes, beginning in 2016 before later being folded into American Queen Voyages.
De Souza will work alongside Bob Salmon, Victory’s current vice president of sales. Salmon plans to retire in 2027.
