Gus Antorcha named president of Princess Cruises; Beth Bodensteiner to lead Holland America Line; Mark Tamis joins as president of Seabourn
MIAMI, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today announced important moves within its global leadership team for Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn.
Gus Antorcha, currently president of Holland America Line, has been named president of Princess Cruises, effective Dec. 2, 2024, replacing John Padgett, who is stepping away from the business in mid-February 2025. With the leadership change, Beth Bodensteiner, currently senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Holland America Line, has been promoted to president of the cruise line, effective Dec. 2, 2024. Both Antorcha and Bodensteiner will report to Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Bodensteiner will also have executive responsibility for the company's ultra-luxury Seabourn cruise line as the brand welcomes Mark Tamis back to Carnival Corporation as its new president replacing Natalya Leahy, who has served in various capacities through her career at Carnival, rising through the ranks as CFO of Holland America Line and Seabourn, then taking on the role of chief operations officer for the former Holland America Group and then becoming Seabourn President. We wish her good luck in the new position she has accepted outside of the company, and we are appreciative of all her contributions during her time with us.
"Gus and Beth are proven leaders who reflect the talent and capabilities of our organization and who have a deep knowledge of our industry, our business, and what drives our success," said Weinstein. "Under their leadership, I have no doubt that Princess, Holland America and Seabourn will remain well-positioned for a bright future, and we look forward to the next chapter for these two world-class brands and their ongoing success."
Weinstein added, "I would also like to thank John for more than a decade of service and innovation, including developing and launching Princess MedallionClass, which revamped the Princess guest experience and set a new standard for service and personalization in the cruise industry and for travel and hospitality overall, as well as returning the Princess brand to its rightful iconic status within the cruise industry. John's dedication and impact have been significant. We wish him all the best."
"I'm incredibly grateful to the entire Princess Cruises team for their passion and hard work in making Princess a global powerhouse in guest service, personalization and innovation to give our guests priceless vacations spanning the world," said Padgett. "It's been an exciting journey, and I look forward to watching the continued success of The Love Boat with love, respect and admiration for the brand and all the shoreside and shipboard team members."
Antorcha Takes New Role in Company
Antorcha will lead Princess Cruises, one of Carnival Corporation's most iconic cruise lines known globally as the inspiration for The Love Boat and for effortless, personalized MedallionClass experiences. As president, Antorcha will oversee all performance and operational aspects of the cruise line's global fleet of 16 ships sailing over 1.7 million guests annually to 330+ destinations around the world.
Since 2020, Antorcha has been at the helm of Holland America Line, managing all areas of the award-winning cruise line. After successfully guiding the company's return to full operations post-industry pause, Antorcha has led the cruise line to achieve a number of significant milestones, including amassing the largest single booking day in Holland America history and delivering the strongest financial results in 16 years. Prior to joining Holland America Line, Antorcha held various leadership positions with Carnival Cruise Line, including most recently serving as the cruise line's chief operating officer. He previously served as a partner and managing director for Boston Consulting Group.
"I have tremendous respect for the fantastic Princess onboard and shoreside teams and their dedication to creating memorable travel experiences, and it's a privilege to lead this remarkable brand," said Antorcha. "I look forward to working with the talented team and their travel partners, and to continue delivering the distinctly effortless, personalized Princess MedallionClass vacation experience that has made Princess so popular."
Bodensteiner Brings Decades of Cruise Line Experience
A 20-year veteran of Holland America Line, as president Bodensteiner will manage all aspects of the award-winning, premium cruise line's business including its fleet of 11 ships sailing more than 500 cruises to over 450 ports in 110-plus countries and territories around the world. Previously, Bodensteiner served for six years as senior vice president and chief commercial officer of Holland America Line where she directed revenue management, deployment and customer service for the cruise line, while taking on increasing commercial responsibilities, including Holland America Line's global sales, product marketing, pricing and planning for Alaska Land + Sea Journeys, and integrated marketing, as well as commercial activities for the company's ultra-luxury Seabourn brand.
Among Bodensteiner's many accomplishments, she spearheaded the deployment and rollout of an advanced corporate-wide revenue management system, and helped drive Holland America's strategy targeting high-value, high-affinity guests, enabling the cruise line to generate incremental customer demand through a variety of high-profile collaborations, entertainment offerings and immersive experiences with organizations such as Top Chef, Audible, and Wheel of Fortune.
"After advocating for this amazing company for 20 years, I could not be prouder to take on the role of president," said Bodensteiner. "This is a tremendous opportunity to work together with my trusted leadership team to continue building on our rich history of helping millions of guests explore the world with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination."
Cruise and Luxury Hotel Veteran Tamis Joins Seabourn
Tamis brings more than three decades of ultra-luxury cruising and expedition travel experience to his new role as president of Seabourn. He joins the company after serving as global president, Aimbridge Hospitality, leading the business and operations for its 1,500 hotels. Previously Tamis led hotel and onboard operations for Royal Caribbean International and served as senior vice president of guest operations for Carnival Cruise Line. He also worked for more than 20 years in the luxury and boutique hotel space with brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Ian Schrager Hotels.
"The most rewarding work in my career has been my time in cruise," said Tamis. "Combining that with my passion for creating the best vacation experiences in the world is a dream come true. I look forward to joining our team members, guests and travel advisors in building on what makes Seabourn special."
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.
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Janna Rowell, Carnival Corporation, jrowell@carnival.com, Ellie Beuerman, LDWW, ellie@ldww.co
