A-Rosa River Cruises parts with sales director Michelle Daniels

A-Rosa River Cruises is parting ways with sales director Michelle Daniels three months after she joined the business, citing a “challenging” year and laying out a restructure of the UK operation.

Regional sales manager Emma Rodgers will now report directly to UK and Ireland managing director Lucia Rowe, with Daniels’ role having been made redundant.

Rowe said: “This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make and we are all very sad to see Michelle go. We wish her the very best of success for her future endeavours.”

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Daniels (pictured), who has more than 20 years’ experience in the cruise sector, joined the business in April this year.

She was tasked with leading the line’s UK sales strategy and working closely with agents to drive awareness of the brand and boost sales.

Unveiling the restructure, the company highlighted it was “keen to reiterate its commitment” to the UK market and its B2B strategy.

It said its UK team would continue to provide the training and support required by trade partners and travel agents, adding that it aimed to further grow the brand in “this important market”.

Rowe said: “Against our expectations, 2024 has been more of a challenging year so far and based on this we were required to realign the structure of the business in the UK.”

She added: “We are incredibly sorry to lose Michelle who from her very first day with us helped develop our FIT sales strategy and found new channels of growth for this area of our business.

“She is such a high-achieving professional and her work ethic, superb knowledge and network in the cruising industry would have undoubtedly helped us with our ambitions for the UK market.”

Daniels is currently completing a handover within the business, the line said.