Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has appointed Jeff Cuellar as the new CEO of NCL’s Sixthman that specialises in creating festival-at-sea cruise vacation experiences.

Luxury cruise Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) appoints Jeff Cuellar as the new Chief Executive Officer of NCL’s Sixthman. 

In a press statement, NCL says that as the new CEO of Sixthman, which specialises in festival-at-sea cruise vacation experiences, Cuellar will be responsible for upscaling Sixthman in the entertainment-based cruise space as well as maintaining the upward growth trajectory of the company.

“Sixthman had an incredible year, welcoming new communities to experience the magic that the team delivers at sea. 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,” says David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

NCL says that Cuellar joined Sixthman in October 2021 and most recently served as Vice President of Events, Marketing and Community. He has prior experience 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. He has been a creative force and director of numerous music events, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Forecastle, Railbird, High Water and many more. 

“I am honoured and extremely humbled to have been given the opportunity to lead the passionate, hard-working and talented team at 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,” says Jeff Cuellar, newly appointed chief executive officer of Sixthman.

The statement adds that Sixthman boasted its ‘most successful year to date’ in 2023. 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 with 3,900 guests.

“In the short time Jeff has been at Sixthman, he’s made a significant impact with the team, and guest and artist experiences. 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,” says Anthony Diaz, former CEO of Sixthman who will serve as a special advisor for the company through June 2024.