Bernie Carter: ‘I feel like Madonna in terms of how I’ve reinvented myself’
When industry veteran Bernie Carter left Oceania Cruises last summer after 18 years, he felt like he was leaving a family behind.
A statement announcing his exit revealed Carter was stepping down “to focus on personal goals”. Carter insists at that point he planned to ride his bikes and spend time with his grandchildren before deciding on his next move.
However, that plan was ripped up within a matter of weeks after James Rodriguez, former Oceania executive vice-president, sales and marketing, got in touch. “James and I talked, and it went from there,” Carter tells TTG. “He’s an industry visionary.”
Rodriguez, who also spent more than 18 years at Oceania, became president of Atlas Ocean Voyages in 2022 and was looking to bolster the luxury expedition line’s team.
In November, Carter started his consultancy role, advising Atlas’s US-based team – which featured “at least a dozen” ex-Oceania employees – on the UK market.
‘Family reunion’
It comes after Carter gained a wealth of experience from his stint at Oceania, as well as spells with Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises and The World of Residensea.
“I worked with these people at Atlas in the early days at Oceania,” explains Carter. “I’m extremely proud of the work I did back then.”
Without missing a beat, he jokes: “I feel like Madonna in terms of how I’ve reinvented myself. This is my first foray into expedition cruising.”
Carter says his former colleagues are “great people” and is looking forward to linking up with them again soon. “The response when I joined was great, like a family reunion,” he adds.
“I plan to go and see them in the first half of this year. There is so much to talk about, we might be up until about three in the morning!”
‘Unique experience’
Atlas Ocean Voyages operates three ships – World Navigator, World Traveller and World Voyager – in most regions around the globe. Each vessel can carry nearly 200 passengers.
“Atlas provides a unique experience whether it be culturally, culinary or from an expedition point of view,” Carter adds.
“It gives that feeling you’re on a private yacht. We don’t have eight restaurants onboard. Instead, we have a main restaurant and an outdoor grill. It’s an informal experience, but it’s high-quality.”
Carter is speaking to TTG in the new year as he heads home from a day with The Cruise Line, Atlas’s new UK principal sales agent.
The South Coast agency will facilitate bookings for the “wider trade community” beyond the select few UK agencies which already sell the three-ship line, which launched in 2019.
“The Cruise Line can take bookings from agents almost immediately,” says Carter, who insists the line is seeing “very encouraging” growth in the US.
UK growth
He senses opportunities here in the UK too, even though “very few” bookings currently come from this market.
“North American interest will transfer across to the UK market depending on how this market behaves,” he adds. “It will be a steady journey.”
The line plans to launch booking, training and marketing portals for UK agents in the next quarter.
But Carter insists: “If agents want to sell us, we will provide them with all the training materials they need. We’re creating a model that will allow us to grow as demand comes in.”
As Carter gets his teeth into his new role, he seems hungrier than ever to increase this very young cruise line’s market share.
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Harry Kemble
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