Mazloum Heads Crystal Cruises’ Fleet Ops

Thomas Mazloum has been promoted to Crystal Cruises’ senior vice president, operations. Mazloum, who has served as Crystal’s senior vice president, hotel operations, since 2003 assumed the responsibilities for the fleet’s marine operations this month with the March 31 retirement of Joe Valenti, Crystal’s senior vice president, marine operations.

As head of hotel operations for Crystal Cruises, Mazloum’s responsibilities include the supervision of Crystal’s food and beverage, entertainment, quality assurance, land programs, service training, onboard guest services and profit centers, and purchasing department. In Mazloum’s new role he will also oversee the ships’ technical and nautical operations, regulatory compliance, safety and security, environmental stewardship, and seagoing personnel.

Austrian-born Mazloum began his cruise industry career at Crystal Cruises with the 1990 launch of the line’s first ship, Crystal Harmony, in Nagasaki, Japan.  In the following nine years, he was rapidly promoted to various food and beverage, land programs and hotel operations positions within Crystal.  At age 29, he became the line’s youngest-ever hotel director. Mazloum left Crystal in 1999 to be part of the inaugural team and serve as hotel director for Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder eventually leading to the position general manager for Epcot at Walt Disney World.

Mazloum returned to Crystal Cruises in 2002 as vice president, hotel operations and was promoted to senior vice president within a year, prior to the launch of Crystal Serenity. In addition to his cruise industry expertise, Mazloum has an extensive European hotel background and has completed continuing education at Cornell University, the Hotel School of Lausanne and the Hotel School of Salzburg. His degree in hotel management and administration was received in Innsbruck, Austria.