Connecting with Canadians: Brennan Quesnele, Oceania SVP Sales

Brennan Quesnele, Oceania Cruises. (Photo Credit: Oceania Cruises)

When the news was shared in a press release at the end of February that Brennan Quesnele was taking over as Oceania Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Sales, it included this description from Oceania President Frank A. Del Rio: “He's a fiercely passionate champion of travel advisors.” When TravelPulse Canada got the chance to interview the new SVP, I knew I wanted to learn more about that.

It turns out that sentence wasn’t just a platitude; there’s a very good reason for that passion: Quesnele started his travel career in Vancouver as a travel advisor himself. Having been behind the desk as an advisor, “experiencing the highs and lows, wins and struggles” of selling travel helped Quesnele appreciate the work that it takes to be a good travel advisor, to recognize the importance of listening to the insights they can share with suppliers and to advocate for them wherever he can. “The importance of agencies and advisors to our businesses is vital. Making sure that their voices are heard and that our decisions are taking all things into account — that advocacy is a big deal.”

Marketing to Canadians

A childhood in Sault Ste. Marie seems a long way from a C-suite office in Miami Beach (“Well, there’s the water in common,” Quesnele jokes) but his Canadian roots lend an important perspective to his role serving North American trade. Less than a month into his new role, Quesnele and his team had arranged meetings with key Canadian advisors and agencies to better understand how to meet their needs. 

Quesnele explains, “Putting out a strong program that not only increased the dollars’ purchasing power, but also played to the strength of travel and the power that travel has” was something they heard continually. “So we asked our advisors and agency partners in Canada what they need at par and what marketing do they need?” 

As a result, Oceania introduced the “Canada at Par” promotion on select cruises as a way to help combat the steep exchange rate Canadian travellers have to contend with. Growing up in a border town, Quesnele was familiar with promotions that accepted a Canadian dollar as an American dollar equivalent, helping to stretch the Canadian dollar. “Having that understanding and knowing the competitive environment and the environment today really kind of supercharged me,” he explains. “This was a bit of a passion project. It took no convincing. It was like, unilaterally, yes, we're doing this!” 

To market the promotion, Oceania has created a toolkit for advisors and is running a campaign that includes advertising in the Globe and Mail and via direct mail. All of it directs consumers to contact their local Canadian travel advisor. “There's so many competitive offers out there, it's kind of hard as a consumer to know which way to look,” says Quesnele. “That's why it's so important that they use their local advisors, because they're going to guide them, make sure that they connect them with the right products.” 

A rendering of Allura’s grand staircase in the lobby. (photo via Oceania Cruises)

“Secret Weapon” Itineraries

A key part of Oceania’s marketing focuses on the connective nature of travel. “We wanted to remind Canadians, agencies, advisors and consumers that travel is a powerful tool, and travel is a powerful experience,” says Quesnele. “Oceania has incredible itineraries —it’s one of our brand pillars — award winning itineraries that are all over the world and allow Canadians to get out there and experience this incredible globe that we have.” Two of the 66 cruises that are presently under the “at par” promotion are what Quesnele refers to as “Canadian Secret Weapons,” They are itineraries that may particularly appeal to a Canadian consumer who is looking for a new kind of cruise. “A lot of Canadians right now are still looking for summer plans, or may have pulled back on summer plans,” explains Quesnele. The Montreal - Reykjavik and return Reykjavik - Montreal route calling in all-Canadian ports before heading to Greenland and Iceland may be exactly what they are looking for. 

Oceania recognizes that Canadians tend to seek two kinds of travel: warmth in the winter and somewhere new to explore and spread our wings. Quesnele is excited by what Oceania can offer in both those categories, for example cruises in Indonesia and Malaysia. He also teased the newly announced 2026-27 itineraries and the building excitement about Oceania's new ship, Allura which sets sail this summer. 

Parting Thoughts 

Above all, Quesnele wants advisors to know that the Oceania Cruises team is there to support the work of selling the right travel products to your clients. Oceania is aiming to address market demand and the competitive nature of things right now with its marketing promotions and tools to help advisors. 

Quesnele encourages advisors to reach out to clients who have cancelled travel plans or would normally be booking travel and haven’t yet. “Now's the time to really, really keep connected with your customers. Present these new options to them that have come into the market,” he says. “Talk about those hidden, secret weapons, like leaving from Montreal and sailing the Saint Lawrence and going through Greenland and Iceland. That’s enticing! Arm yourself with the details.”

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