Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, and Sixthman, the global leader of festival-at-sea vacation experiences, announced Jeff Cuellar to succeed Anthony Diaz as its new chief executive officer (CEO).
As the new CEO of Sixthman, a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line, Cuellar will focus on continuing the Company’s upward trajectory of growth by focusing on bringing passionate communities together through diverse and exciting experiences. He will also be responsible for continuing to position Sixthman as the leader in the entertainment-based cruise space.
“Sixthman had an incredible year, welcoming new communities to experience the magic that the team delivers at sea,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Much of that success was built upon the foundation laid by Anthony Diaz during his tenure, and we at NCL thank him for all of his efforts over the years. Now, I am excited to welcome the next chapter for Sixthman with Jeff Cuellar as the newly appointed CEO. Given his strong 24-year track record in the entertainment and hospitality industry, I am confident Jeff is the perfect person to lead Sixthman forward into its very bright future and continue to build on its 2023 successes.”
Cuellar joined Sixthman in October 2021 in what was then the newly created role of Vice President of Partnerships and most recently served as Vice President of Events, Marketing and Community where he was responsible for overseeing the creative development, marketing outreach and community management for all festivals at sea. Prior to that, he played a major role in the growth of AC Entertainment, currently owned by Live Nation under the festivals division of C3, as one of the world’s leading festival operators. As a creative force and director of numerous music events including Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival®, Forecastle, Railbird, High Water and many more, Cuellar came to Sixthman with a deep background in event strategy, immersive brand partnerships, community engagement, business development, experiential design, marketing outreach and event operations.
“I am honored and extremely humbled to have been given the opportunity to lead the passionate, hard-working and talented team at Sixthman,” said Jeff Cuellar, newly appointed chief executive officer of Sixthman. “Over the last few years, I’ve been able to witness the incredible work the team does to produce the absolute best festivals at sea and bring guests from all over the world together to celebrate a shared passion and enjoy personal fan-to-artist experiences that go beyond what a vacation can be. I look forward to building on the strong momentum and legacy that Anthony Diaz and Andy Levine have created and charting new paths for our team and guests to embrace our ‘Live Loud’ culture.”
In 2023, Sixthman boasted its most successful year to date. It hosted 18 unique events, welcoming nearly 45,000 guests and over 490 artists throughout 85 days at sea and across three continents, eight countries and five different ships. It also hosted its largest onboard event ever with EDSea, a global electronic music festival, aboard Norwegian Joy, featuring a nearly 3,900 guest capacity. In addition, the immersive experiences at sea organization expanded its repertoire of affinities with the first Broadway voyage and Hallmark Channel cruise at sea, as well as partnered with best-in-class artists in Comedy, Rock, Wrestling, EDM and YouTube.
“In the short time Jeff has been at Sixthman, he’s made a significant impact with the team, and guest and artist experiences,” said Anthony Diaz, former chief executive officer of Sixthman. “He played an integral role in the success of 2023, leading the strategy and outreach to strengthen and develop new artist relationships and debut first-for-the-brand festival concepts across all genres of music, sports, comedy, film, TV, and more. Jeff has been an incredible addition to the team and will excel in continuing to grow the brand, fortify its reputation as a leading entertainment vacation experience, and most importantly continue to develop the dynamic team culture at Sixthman.”
Diaz will serve as a special advisor for the Company through June 2024.
