Dondra Ritzenthaler is the senior vice president of sales, trade support and services for the Americas at Celebrity Cruises, where she’s been for almost 20 years (after spending more than 20 years working for American Airlines).

From a young age, Ritzenthaler considered herself a competitive go-getter, whether it was by practicing volleyball serves long after her other teammates left the gym; challenging her siblings to foot races and hair-pulling contests (yes, really); or, later, schooling her office colleagues in fantasy football. 

In this episode of Humans of Travel, Ritzenthaler takes listeners through her own personal journey, from her modest upbringing in rural Texas to being named a 2021 Power Woman by Moves Magazine last year. They will also hear about the challenges she’s faced, including losing a college scholarship after a sports injury, applying for the same job three times at American Airlines, and uprooting her family and moving them cross-country for a new job.

She’ll also speak on the importance of women learning to be “brave, not perfect,” and how the lessons she’s learned during her 40-plus-year career in business have ultimately shaped her views on team building, social fairness and equality.

INSIDE THIS EPISODE

1:00: Meet Dondra Ritzenthaler, the senior vice president of sales, trade support and services for the Americas at Celebrity Cruises.

2:15: Ritzenthaler recounts a skit she recently did on-stage with Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed at Travel Weekly’s CruiseWorld. 

5:00: Ritzenthaler shares more about her upbringing in the rural town of Palestine, Texas, where she lived with her parents, her older brother and her younger sister.

8:45: How did Ritzenthaler’s dynamic with her siblings lead her to develop a competitive nature?

10:30: Ritzenthaler recalls a time when volleyball was key to her identity, and how a sports injury led to a lost college scholarship and a re-shaping of her sense of self. 

15:40: Ritzenthaler has advice for anyone in business who is looking to build out a productive, efficient team.

22:08: Last year, Ritzenthaler was named a 2021 Power Woman by Moves Magazine, and she’s got some advice for young women building their careers. 

26:45: Ritzenthaler explains why it’s important to lead with social fairness and equality in mind.

30:15: What was Ritzenthaler’s path to Celebrity Cruises? She details a more than 20-year stint at American Airlines.

32:00: Ritzenthaler recounts a challenging time when she applied for the same job three times at American Airlines.

35:09: Ritzenthaler makes the decision to move her family to Miami for a role with Celebrity Cruises.

37:08: Host Emma Weissmann asks Ritzenthaler a round of rapid-fire questions.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Ritzenthaler’s Facebook

Email Ritzenthaler: [email protected]

Celebrity Cruises

Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder by Reshma Saujani

Power Women by Moves Magazine

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.