Jason Gelineau on Luxury Cruise, Guest Experience and the Power of Your Network
Join Carmen as she chats with Jason Gelineau, a cruise and tourism industry leader with more than 30 years of global experience, including 24 years working at sea.
Jason shares how a teenage taste of Caribbean resort life sparked a career that would take him through hotels, luxury cruising, residential ships and senior leadership roles with brands including Silversea, Oceania Cruises, Seabourn, MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys.
They talk about guest experience, life at sea, building Explora Journeys from a blank sheet of paper, and the role that relationships, reputation, curiosity and saying yes have played throughout Jason’s career.
Today, through JAG Hospitality, Jason works across cruise, tourism and hospitality, connecting people and championing the industry.
What You’ll Take Away
Why relationships and professional reputation can compound across an entire career
The value of learning beyond your current role and cross-training before the next opportunity appears
Why empathy is such an important part of tourism and hospitality
What Jason learned from more than two decades working at sea
How luxury guest expectations differ from other parts of the cruise market
What it takes to create a new luxury cruise experience from a blank sheet of paper
Why you don’t always need to feel completely ready before saying yes
The importance of mentoring, community and giving back to the next generation of tourism professionals
About Jason Gelineau
Jason Gelineau is a cruise and tourism industry leader with more than 30 years of global experience, including 24 years working at sea across luxury, residential and contemporary cruise brands.
His career has included senior roles with Explora Journeys, Seabourn, Oceania Cruises, Silversea, The World of ResidenSea and MSC Cruises.
Today, Jason is Principal of JAG Hospitality, Seatrade Cruise Ambassador for Guest Experience and Wellness, Vice President of Skål International Perth, and a Featured Voice with The Forum by Forbes Travel Guide.
He works with tourism, cruise and hospitality brands across guest experience, product development, wellness, luxury retail, destination strategy and industry engagement.
Links & Organisations Mentioned
Jason Gelineau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonagelineau/
The Forum by Forbes Travel Guide: https://theforum.forbestravelguide.com/team-member/jason-gelineau/
Seatrade Cruise: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/
Skål International: https://skal.org/
Princess Cruises: https://www.princess.com/
Silversea: https://www.silversea.com/
The World, Residences at Sea: https://aboardtheworld.com/
Oceania Cruises: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/
Seabourn: https://www.seabourn.com/
MSC Cruises: https://www.msccruises.com.au/
Explora Journeys: https://explorajourneys.com/au/en
Coral Expeditions: https://www.coralexpeditions.com/
Episode Chapters
00:00 — Meet Jason Gelineau
04:50 — Growing up in Ottawa and discovering hospitality in Jamaica
10:13 — Starting in hospitality and learning the business from the ground up
15:04 — From Whistler to his first job at sea
19:56 — Guest service, empathy and understanding the traveller
24:11 — Building a career at sea and moving into luxury cruising
29:32 — Life aboard The World, a pioneering residential ship
32:56 — Oceania Cruises and stepping into senior leadership
38:39 — Facing a piracy emergency at sea
40:47 — Leaving cruise life and starting a Perth food truck
42:59 — MSC Cruises and the move into corporate development
45:32 — Building Explora Journeys from a blank sheet of paper
47:17 — Reputation, relationships and the opportunities they create
50:29 — JAG Hospitality, industry connection and Jason’s version of semi-retirement
55:05 — Mentoring, giving back and advice for the next generation