Top Headlines

Princess Cruises appoints Gordon Ho as Senior VP of Marketing

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 25 June 2013 25 June 2013

Princess Cruises has appointed Gordon Ho as senior vice president of marketing. In this newly-created position he will lead the company's global marketing, public relations and digital activities.

Ho brings extensive marketing experience to his new role with Princess, in areas including worldwide creative development, brand management, partnership marketing, digital marketing, CRM and public relations.

"We're delighted to welcome Gordon to Princess and look forward to his contributions supporting our expansion into new international markets as well as strengthening the Princess brand in our established markets including North America, UK and Australia," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises' executive vice president. He reports directly to Swartz.

Ho previously spent 18 years at the Walt Disney Company where he last served as executive vice president of worldwide marketing for its $4 billion Disney Studios Home Entertainment division. In that position he created a highly successful global marketing team in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Most recently he served as chief marketing officer of 24/7 Card and as co-founder and president of MyMovieDeals.com.

He earned his B.S. degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. with concentrations in marketing and finance from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

In related news, David deMerlier, previously vice president of marketing, has been appointed to the new role of vice president of international marketing for the line. Reporting to Ho, deMerlier now oversees Princess marketing efforts throughout Asia, and in the UK and Australia.

Carnival Corp & plc forecast to report second quarter EPS of $1.62 on 25 June

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 24 June 2013 24 June 2013

Carnival Corp & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping group, is forecast to report earnings per share (EPS)of $1.62 for the second quarter of its current financial year on 25 June.

Estimates of analysts in New York and London range from a low of $1.45 to a high of $2.06. The figure for the corresponding period last year was just $0.20 as it was heavily impacted by the Costa Concordia accident.

The second quarter of the Carnival group covers three months to 31 May.

Carnival UK's Dingle airs thoughts of online's future role

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 18 June 2013 18 June 2013

Carnival UK, which operates the brands of the world's largest cruise shipping group Carnival Corporation & plc in Britain, will increase the role of online functions in the future, but these will take into account requirements of the brands in question, says David Dingle, CEO of the Southampton based company.

New heads of marketing with deep understanding of the online world are being sought for Cunard Line and P&O Cruises brands.

"As instant connectivity, whether it be through mobile phones or tablets becomes the norm rather than a luxury, cruise lines are investing tens of millions of pounds in the provision of broadband service at sea, obtained via satellite connection, to ensure that passengers have the ability to connect with home and work and continue their online activities whilst on board," Dingle told Cruise Business.

"There are internet cafes across the fleet which provide connectivity and all the ships are wi fi enabled. Technology has also played a major part in the cruise booking process. We are about to introduce a number of Cruise Personaliser pre cruise booking options. This will mean that passengers can book speciality dining in advance of joining the cruise, book spa treatments and also pre book from a selection of VIP luxuries for example, strawberries and Champagne in the cabin, Champagne breakfast in bed, flowers and chocolates."

"The travel industry lends itself well to online engagement, as the content is so rich, varied and compelling. Unlike many industries we are privileged to provide an experience that people enjoy and look forward to, and both past and potential cruise passengers love to research and share their experiences as a core part of the anticipation and planning process. However, choosing a cruise can require greater support than a package holiday, so this is where we can really use the online space to help. We know that people who are looking to go on a cruise holiday use the internet a lot in their decision-making process, whether that's to look at photos and videos of possible destinations, or to take a virtual tour of the different ships."

"This is content not only produced by cruise companies like ourselves but also content that has been produced by other passengers. We are certainly investing in online content such as video, interactive tours and useful information that passengers are seeking, and looking at a number of different ways to share this content across different channels such as the website and social media, and devices, such as smartphones and tablets. We are constantly developing and enhancing our award-winning websites to keep up with the rapid pace of the online world, whilst ensuring that we are still catering for those who prefer to have tangible materials such as a paper brochure, magazine and regular print communication directly through the post."

"Cunard and P&O Cruises are brands which have been woven into the fabric of British cruising over the last 175 years, and are amongst the most famous cruise brands across the world. We have a great heritage to preserve and cherish. Any changes always form part of a carefully planned and executed evolution in order to maintain the freshness and relevance of our brands whilst never compromising their core values. It is too early to say exactly what will be seen over the coming months and years, but any work will ensure that P&O Cruises and Cunard are portrayed as strongly appealing and highly differentiated," he concluded.

Carnival Corporation appoints Senior VP of Corporate Communications

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 18 June 2013 18 June 2013

Carnival Corporation & plc has appointed Roger Frizzell to the newly created position of senior vice president of corporate communications, effective June 24, 2013.

Frizzell will report to Carnival Corporation & plc Chairman and CEO Micky Arison and Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Howard Frank. In his new role, Frizzell will serve as Carnival Corporation & plc's chief communications officer, handling all corporate-level communications and public relations activities for the world's largest cruise vacation group, which is the parent company of 10 cruise lines.

"We are extraordinarily fortunate to have an individual of Roger's talents and background join our company to lead this critical function," said Frank. "His extensive experience will be a tremendous asset to our organization."

Frizzell most recently was vice president and chief communications officer for Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco, Calif. During the course of his 30-year career, Frizzell served as a top public relations executive at American Airlines for nearly a decade, as well as held high-level communications positions at Hewlett-Packard, Lucent Technologies and AT&T.

He was inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame in 2011 and named by the Holmes Report as one of the top chief communications officers in the industry.

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).

Together, these brands operate 102 ships totaling 209,000 lower berths with seven new ships scheduled to be delivered between May 2014 and April 2016. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Gianni Onorato leaves Costa Crociere

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 17 June 2013 17 June 2013

Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere S.p.A., has announced his decision to leave the company, effective immediately, to pursue a new career direction.

"I regret Gianni’s decision," said Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chief Executive Officer Michael Thamm. "He has played an important role in the development and growth of Costa Crociere. Personally and on behalf of the whole company I want to express my gratitude to Gianni for having contributed to the success of Costa. I wish him the very best for his personal and professional future."