Gus Antorcha, currently Chief Operating Officer for Carnival Cruise Line, was immediately appointed President of Holland America Line, effective. Antorcha will report directly to Holland America Group CEO Stein Kruse, and Carnival UK.

As a veteran in the industry with over 9 years of service at Carnival Cruise Line, Antorcha held many key leadership positions promoting the continued growth and popularity of the brand among cruisers. Since becoming chief operating officer, Antorcha served as executive vice president, guest services, responsible for on-board activities, and senior vice president, passenger trade, for Carnival Cruise Line.

Neil Palomba, currently president of Costa Cruises, which is based in Italy, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer for Carnival Cruise Line, reporting directly to Christine Duffy, brand manager. The Costa Cruises leadership team will continue to report to Costa Group and Carnival Asia's CEO, Michael Thamm, throughout the transition to Palomba.

Before becoming Costa Cruises president, Palomba worked as senior vice president, hotel operations, and guest experience for the company beginning in January 2014. He previously held several leadership positions in the cruise industry, serving in various onshore and onboard roles to become a chief operating officer for a major cruise line.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to continue enhancing our global operations, these moves clearly demonstrate the depth and strength of our leadership team. We are using this pause in guest operations to evaluate every aspect of our business, including our leadership structures, and make changes where appropriate to improve our business. Gus and Neil are both proven and strategic leaders within our organization, and we are looking forward to their contributions and success in these new roles as we position our company and our brands for a bright future," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation.

Antorcha will lead one of the most storied brands in Carnival Corporation, Holland America Line, an award-winning cruise line known for immersive, authentic onboard and shoreside experiences. In this role, he will direct the return of Holland America Line to cruise operations and future growth plans including sales and marketing, revenue management, deployment and route planning , public relations.

Maritime Business World