He sent his résumé to Royal Caribbean, Burger King, and Ryder. Royal Caribbean called first, and that one phone call launched a 30-year career at the top of the cruise industry.
Ken Muskat is the President of Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises & Tours, two of the most distinguished luxury travel brands in the world. In this episode, recorded live from the floor of Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, Ken shares how a kid from Miami who wanted to work in TV and advertising accidentally became one of the most respected leaders in cruising, and why, even after trying to leave the industry a few times, it always pulled him back.
We talk nine new ships, a brand-new Emerald yacht deploying in Japan and Australia in 2028, the 270-guest Scenic Icon coming to the Mediterranean, expedition cruising below, on, and above the water, and whether luxury cruise travel is actually as out of reach as most people think. (Spoiler: it's not.)
Plus, Ken lands in the Hot Seat and tells us exactly where he's going if you hand him a ticket right now.
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Welcome to Traveling with Denella & Friends
0:42 — Meet Ken Muskat — President of Scenic & Emerald
1:40 — The Interview Begins 2:05 — Ken's Personal Connection to the Industry
2:34 — The Journey — Born in Miami, Started at Royal Caribbean
3:15 — From Entertainment Auditions to the Boardroom
4:10 — 18 Years at Royal Caribbean — What He Learned
4:22 — Moving to Shanghai to Run a Cruise Line for China
4:41 — What's New at Scenic & Emerald — Nine New Ships
5:16 — Emerald Yacht Coming to Japan & Australia in 2028
5:41 — Scenic Icon — The Largest Ship in the Fleet
6:38 — The Itineraries That Excite Him Most
7:21 — Scenic Eclipse, Iceland, Antarctica & the Kimberley
8:00 — 35 Ships by End of 2028 — A Truly Global Fleet
8:14 — Privately Owned for 40 Years — Why That Matters
8:51 — Expedition Cruising — Below, On, and Above the Water
10:18 — Why Travel Advisors & Guests Should Book Scenic & Emerald
10:50 — "A Lot of People Think It's Not Attainable" — Ken Sets the Record Straight
11:28 — What Makes Scenic & Emerald Different From Everyone Else
12:13 — Would Ken Recommend a Career in the Cruise Industry?
13:16 — 🔥 The Hot Seat — River, Ocean, or Expedition?
13:50 — Antarctica vs. the Mekong — Ken's Living List
14:07 — The Polar Plunge 14:18 — Closing & Thank You
14:36 — Until We Travel Again
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🔗 CONNECT WITH KEN MUSKAT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmuskat/
🔗 SCENIC LUXURY CRUISES & TOURS
Website: https://scenic.cruises/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scenic.eclipse/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScenicCruises/
🔗 EMERALD CRUISES & TOURS
Website: https://emerald.cruises/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeraldcruises.global/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmeraldCruisesGlobal
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🔗 CONNECT WITH DENELLA
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/travelingwithdenellarichard
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/
Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/
📩 Sponsorship & partnerships: alfred@travelingwithdenella.com
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ABOUT TRAVELING WITH DENELLA & FRIENDS
Have you ever wondered how you can get paid to travel the world? Meet the people who do, yes, they really exist. Traveling with Denella & Friends is your insider's look into the travel industry through real conversations with the leaders, innovators, and personalities who power it. Host Denella Ri'chard sits down with the people who built careers in travel, their journeys, their rise, and what's next. Because travel isn't a hobby, it's our career.
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