Hospitality Veteran Robert Castro Joins Scenic

Robert Castro, the former senior director of marketing with Silversea, is joining Scenic Group USA as its new senior director of marketing.

Castro, a South Florida native, has over a decade of experience in cruise marketing. His career started with Carnival and has since included stints at Royal Caribbean, Silversea Cruises, where he served as director of marketing and helped launch Silver Muse, and Hard Rock International.

In his new role, he will be responsible for helping Scenic, and its sister-brand Emerald, continue to gain market share in the U.S. with both Scenic’s traditional and digital focus.

“As the growth of the Scenic Group USA market accelerates, so does the growth of our talented marketing team, Maggie Carbonell, Scenic’s VP of marketing said in a statement. “Robert’s wealth of marketing experience and his can-do positivity makes him a perfect fit—along with his forward-thinking ideas.”

Talking about his return to the cruise industry, Castro said that “the opportunity to be back in the cruise industry with an innovative collective of brands and diverse product offerings is definitely exciting.”

“To be able to connect with consumers and travel advisors in my new role and share the story of what Scenic and Emerald Cruises can accomplish for them is incredibly fulfilling—especially at such an inspirational time as the company launches new industry-leading ocean vessels,” he said.

That expansion includes a second superyacht for Emerald, the 100-passenger Emerald Sakara that is set to launch in 2023.

The ship, whose name is a Sanskrit mantra meaning “thoughts become things,” will have 50 balconies, of which 88% will feature balconies. Other highlights will include a large infinity pool, spa and gym, and a marina platform with a number of marina “toys” including paddleboards and snorkeling equipment.