On this episode of Humans of Travel, Matias Lira, senior vice president of trade sales, the Americas, at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group and Crystal Cruises, discusses his path from cruise ship bellboy to top sales executive.

A “horrible student” but long determined to climb the proverbial professional ladder, the Miami native credits his mother for helping him understand the value of a dollar and the hard work required to earn one. As a young adult, Lira even delivered bread in the Florida Keys to establish his financial independence. 

In the second half of the show, Lira highlights the new Abercrombie & Kent x Crystal Cruises product — an exclusive cruise offering that blends the deep land tour expertise of Abercrombie & Kent with the luxury cruise experience of Crystal. The first Abercrombie & Kent x Crystal Cruises trip departed this past summer and received much praise from guests, about 60% of whom were new to both brands, Lira notes. Listen in to learn more.

This episode is sponsored by Oceania Cruises.

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Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts

Listen and follow on Spotify

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Abercrombie & Kent

Crystal Cruises

Abercrombie & Kent x Crystal Cruises

A&K x Crystal Cruises: Europe’s Atlantic Shores

A&K x Crystal Cruises: An Epic Voyage Around South East Asia

A&K x Crystal Cruises: Autumn in New York and Canada

From TravelAge West: These Are the Trends Driving Luxury Travel, According to Abercrombie and Kent Travel Group

From TravelAge West: Preview: Crystal’s Crystal Grace

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base.

The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s award-winning podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

On this episode of Humans of Travel, Matias Lira, senior vice president of trade sales, the Americas, at <a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/">Abercrombie &amp; Kent Travel Group</a> and <a href="https://www.crystalcruises.com/">Crystal Cruises</a>, discusses his path from cruise ship bellboy to top sales executive.
A &ldquo;horrible student&rdquo; but long determined to climb the proverbial professional ladder, the Miami native credits his mother for helping him understand the value of a dollar and the hard work required to earn one. As a young adult, Lira even delivered bread in the Florida Keys to establish his financial independence.&nbsp;
In the second half of the show, Lira highlights the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/cruises/ak-crystal-cruises">Abercrombie &amp; Kent x Crystal Cruises</a> product &mdash; an exclusive cruise offering that blends the deep land tour expertise of Abercrombie &amp; Kent with the luxury cruise experience of Crystal. The first Abercrombie &amp; Kent x Crystal Cruises trip departed this past summer and received much praise from guests, about 60% of whom were new to both brands, Lira notes. Listen in to learn more.
This episode is sponsored by <a href="https://www.oceaniacruises.com/">Oceania Cruises</a>.
Enjoying Humans of Travel? Follow the podcast!
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humans-of-travel/id1496726460">Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts</a>
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7w8Ki7aVjhzPHA9CNx4fcJ">Listen and follow on Spotify</a>
<hr>
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/">Abercrombie &amp; Kent</a>
<a href="https://www.crystalcruises.com/">Crystal Cruises</a>
<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/cruises/ak-crystal-cruises">Abercrombie &amp; Kent x Crystal Cruises</a>
<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/journeys/expedition-cruises/ak-x-crystal-cruises-europes-atlantic-shores">A&amp;K x Crystal Cruises: Europe&rsquo;s Atlantic Shores</a>
<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/journeys/expedition-cruises/ak-x-crystal-cruises-an-epic-voyage-around-southeast-asia">A&amp;K x Crystal Cruises: An Epic Voyage Around South East Asia</a>
<a href="https://www.abercrombiekent.com/journeys/expedition-cruises/ak-x-crystal-cruises-autumn-in-new-york-and-canada">A&amp;K x Crystal Cruises: Autumn in New York and Canada</a>
From TravelAge West: <a href="https://www.travelagewest.com/Events/2026-aktg-100-club">These Are the Trends Driving Luxury Travel, According to Abercrombie and Kent Travel Group</a>
From TravelAge West: <a href="https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Cruise/crystal-grace-cruise-ship">Preview: Crystal&rsquo;s Crystal Grace</a>
<hr>
ABOUT YOUR HOST&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.travelagewest.com/Chelsee-Lowe">Chelsee Lowe</a> is Senior Editor of&nbsp;TravelAge&nbsp;West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She&rsquo;s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base.
The TravelAge&nbsp;West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.
<hr>
ABOUT THE SHOW&nbsp;
TravelAge West&rsquo;s award-winning podcast, &ldquo;Humans of Travel,&rdquo; features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry&rsquo;s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.

Humans of Travel

TravelAge West&rsquo;s podcast, &ldquo;Humans of Travel,&rdquo; features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry&rsquo;s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences &mdash; the highs and the lows &mdash; that make them human.