The industry veteran, who has previously held the roles of Cunard president, Carnival UK chief commercial officer and commercial positions at First Choice Holidays, Going Places and Thomas Cook, is being replaced by Andreas Nuessel. 

Silversea president Bert Hernandez hailed Shanks “invaluable contributions” to the Silversea brand and the wider travel industry. 

During his seven years at Silversea, Shanks has helped welcome two Nova-class ships – Silver Nova and Silver Ray – and was recently inducted into the Clia Hall of Fame. 

In October last year, Shanks told TTG Luxury editor April Hutchinson how Silversea’s Nova-class ships "are quite different to anything that has come before". 

"They’re slightly bigger with 720 guests, which is not big in the world of cruising, but some of our more regular guests have found it a little bit big," he said. 

"We’ve seen quite a shift to people coming to Silversea for the first time on those two ships. Around 70% of their guests are new to Silversea. It’s fascinating to watch them because they’ve not been on a cruise before...and they love it." 

Nova and Ray are two of six ships that launched during Shanks’ time at Silversea. He joined the line in 2018 two years before it was completely taken over by Royal Caribbean Group in 2020.

To ensure a smooth transition, the ultra-luxury line said Shanks and Nuessel would work together until the end of June. Nuessel will continue to report into Barbara Biffi, senior vice-president of global sales. 

It also confirmed Nuessel will recruit for a dedicated UK and Ireland managing director who will report into him to "ensure these markets get the attention they require".

Silversea called managing director, Europe, Nuessel "a very well-respected travel executive" when announcing the changes on Thursday (20 February). 

"Under his leadership, Silversea has significantly increased its market share and presence in the territory," said line.