Product Manager, Cruises and Europe

About Railbookers

At Railbookers, we believe that the journey is just as fulfilling as the destination. Life onboard is full of opportunities, new experiences, and rewarding relationships.

We’re a team of diverse, talented people from around the world. As we continue to expand internationally, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well -that we remain aligned and engaged. Global movements don’t spring from one individual. It takes an entire team to make an impact and do something BIG. At Railbookers, we encourage every employee to identify areas of opportunity within the organization.

Every single person at Railbookers has a passion for travel, which explains why we’re so avid about encouraging our customers to get out and discover the world for themselves. Most importantly, we embolden you to be yourself and enjoy the work you do on a daily basis. We like having a great time at work, not just outside of it.


Overview

We are seeking an experienced Product Manager, Cruises and Europe to oversee and develop our portfolio of vacation packages that include cruises, guided tours, admission to popular attractions, culinary experiences, and more. This product role manages a number of key supplier relationships in the cruise, rail, hotel, sightseeing, and transportation space. In addition, you will work closely with a number of internal stakeholders to ensure the success of our product line.

This role requires a deep understanding of the travel and tourism industry, customer preferences, and technical systems that facilitate product distribution and delivery. You will be responsible for curating, enhancing, and scaling our product offerings while ensuring the backend systems and integrations support these efforts efficiently.


Key Responsibilities

• Product Development & Strategy: Design and curate unique, authentic, and immersive travel products  that reflect consumer demand but with points to differentiate our vacation packages from competitors. Manage portfolio of product within the assigned geographical region of Europe and cruise product portfolio across Europe and North America and more.
• Supplier & Partner Management: Build and maintain relationships with river cruise and ocean cruise partners, rail operators, local DMCs, tour operators, attraction providers, hoteliers, and other travel suppliers to ensure high-quality experiences for our customers across Europe and North America.
• Market Research & Trend Analysis: Stay informed on travel trends, customer preferences, and competitive offerings. Use this data to enhance existing products and identify new opportunities.
• Experience Curation: Design and curate unique, authentic, and immersive experiences in partnership with our suppliers that speak to consumer but demand with points to differentiate our vacation packages from competitors.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with marketing, sales, operations, and customer support teams to ensure seamless promotion, sales, and delivery of each cruise and vacation package and integration of technology solutions.
• Customer Feedback Integration: Gather and analyze customer feedback on packages, hotels, activities, and sightseeing experiences. Use insights to continuously improve and refine product offerings.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure smooth execution of tours and activities, working closely with operations and tech teams to manage logistics, scheduling, API functionality, and customer satisfaction.
• Pricing & Margins Optimization: Contribute to pricing strategies for products, balancing customer value with profitability and taking into account respective source markets.
• Product Launches: Oversee the end-to-end process of launching new vacation packages including ensuring supporting technology and APIs are properly integrated, tested, and ready for deployment.
• Risk Management: Identify operational risks related to cruises, activities, and sightseeing and proactively develop mitigation strategies.
• Performance Metrics: Monitor and action business intelligence regarding product performance, including booking rates, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence thereby ensuring that experience standards are consistently met.

Technology & API Responsibilities

• API Integration: Suggest and commercially support the integration of APIs and other technology platforms that enable the sale, booking, and fulfillment of products and services
• Vendor Coordination: Work with external vendors and internal engineering teams to ensure API functionality, resolve issues, and optimize the performance of third-party integrations.

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in product management within the travel. Particular experience with suppliers, products, and customers in European rail vacation and cruise markets and destinations is essential.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Tourism, or a related field. MBA or equivalent experience is a plus.
• Industry Knowledge: Strong understanding of the travel industry, including trends, customer behavior, and operational complexities of running cruises, tours, and activities.
• Supplier Relationships: Experience managing relationships with rail operators, cruise partners, tour operators, attractions, and regional service providers.
• API & Technical Aptitude: Familiarity with APIs, booking systems, and integrations with third-party platforms. Ability to work closely from a commercial standpoint with technical teams and vendors to ensure smooth functionality.
• Customer-centric Mindset: A deep commitment to understanding customer needs and delivering exceptional experiences.
• Project Management: Proven ability to manage projects from concept to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams and managing timelines effectively.
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical mindset with experience using data to drive product decisions and optimize performance.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly convey product vision and strategy to stakeholders, including technical and non-technical teams.
• Creative Thinking: Ability to think creatively and develop unique travel experiences that delight customers.
• Problem Solving: Strong problem-solving skills, especially when addressing operational or technical challenges.
• Travel Enthusiast: Passion for travel and exploration, with a genuine interest in delivering top-tier experiences for travelers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a travel company specializing in cruises, hotels, tours, attractions, or vacation packages.
• Familiarity with travel booking systems, tour management software, and customer feedback tools.
• Experience managing global or multi-regional travel products.
• Experience with API management tools and platforms.

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Impact: Shape the experiences of thousands of travelers by curating unforgettable activities and sightseeing tours, while managing the technology that supports them.
• Growth: Be part of a fast-growing travel company with opportunities to grow your career and make a lasting impact.
• Culture: Join a passionate, travel-obsessed team that values creativity, collaboration, and delivering memorable experiences.
• Benefits: Competitive salary, travel perks, comprehensive healthcare, and a flexible work environment.
• Lead the creation of inbound vacation packages catering to travelers visiting Europe and cruising worldwide, emphasizing authentic, localized experiences.
• Develop and expand travel products specifically tailored for the European, North American, Australian, and Asian source markets, ensuring alignment with regional travel behaviors and preferences.
• Adapt global best practices to create distinctive experiences for key source markets.
• Collaborate with regional teams and suppliers to craft culturally relevant and compelling itineraries for European destinations and cruise itineraries, targeting both international and regional travelers.