Humans of Travel – Interview With John Chernesky, Senior Vice President of North America Sales and Trade Marketing for Princess Cruises

John Chernesky is the senior vice president of North America sales and trade marketing for Princess Cruises. He has a unique approach to the business that incorporates his sense of humor and unusual presentation methods.

A longtime sales leader, he was recently appointed to a new role as a “brand champion.” He will be responsible for heralding the Princess brand to consumers and trade with continuous social media engagement and activation at special events and product launches.

Early Life and Education

John Chernesky, senior vice president of North America sales and trade marketing for Princess Cruises, has a reputation as one of the cruise industry’s most entertaining personalities. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Kenneth Shapiro (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West) steps in for Emma Weissmann to chat with the man himself about his childhood, parenting his twin sons and how he came to be one of the top sales professionals at Princess Cruises.

There are many cool things about Chernesky’s professional oeuvre, but perhaps the most impressive is his ability to overcome a spinal cord injury that has prevented him from walking unassisted for more than 20 years. In fact, during a clinical study he participated in, he took his first unassisted steps since his accident – the first of its kind to be performed on a vibration wave platform.

Professional Career

John Chernesky is a seasoned cruise travel trade executive. He currently serves as senior vice president of North America sales and trade marketing for Princess Cruises.

He has been with the company for 29 years, and seven of those as a senior VP overseeing travel agency sales. Now he’s in a new role as a “brand champion,” blending his considerable experience, industry relationships and media influence with his passion for social media and promotion.

He has a unique ability to engage, inform and entertain both guests and travel industry partners alike. He’s also a strong advocate for the spinal cord injury community. For example, he’s been involved in research to determine the effectiveness of whole body vibration therapy on spasticity, a condition he suffers from.

Achievements and Honors

John Chernesky has a long list of accomplishments and honors. He’s a senior vice president of sales and trade marketing for Princess Cruises, a British-American cruise line based in Santa Clarita, California.

In his new role, Chernesky will be responsible for all sales and trade marketing for Princess Cruises and Cunard Line. He also will continue to oversee the onboard revenue team for both lines.

He has been with Princess for over 26 years and has previously served as vice president, onboard revenue; director of passenger programs; project manager for hotel operations; and senior vice president, North America sales.

During his career, Chernesky has also focused on improving STI testing and diagnostics, with a particular focus on chlamydia. He has published several landmark papers in this area, including a study of lab efficiency that led to the development of automated instrumentation. He’s also made significant contributions to HPV and mycoplasma genitalium research.

Personal Life

John Chernesky is a senior VP of Sales and Trade Marketing (North America) at Princess Cruise Lines. The company is a storied British-American cruise line founded in 1965 that offers an impressive array of itineraries to more than 170 destinations around the globe.

He’s a big fan of the travel industry and its myriad subsets. A true devotee of the seas, Chernesky has logged well over a quarter century onboard a Princess ship, serving in various roles ranging from guest services and youth programs to hotel operations and the high-rolling director of a multi-million dollar onboard product development and innovation program. He was a key player in Princess’s successful bid for the coveted prize of Best Overall Product at Sea, and in the process helped Princess achieve its goal of being named the world’s most innovative cruise line.

Net Worth

John Chernesky is an executive at Princess Cruises, but he’s probably most well-known for his unique approach to professional presentations. He often uses a puppet that resembles himself, making him one of the most popular personalities in the cruise industry. In this episode of Humans of Travel, he talks with Kenneth Shapiro (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West) about his childhood, parenting his twin sons and how much he values travel. They also discuss his affinity for “The Love Boat,” cruising’s outlook for 2022, and how MedallionClass Technology is changing the cruise experience. He even reveals the origins of his puppet!