Carnival Corp. Names Antorcha President of Holland America Line

Carnival Corp. & plc named Gustavo Antorcha president of Holland America Line, effective immediately. Currently chief operations officer for Carnival Cruise Line, Antorcha will report directly to Stein Kruse, group CEO of Holland America Group and Carnival UK.

The July 9 announcement also included news that Neil Palomba, currently president of the company’s Italy-based Costa Cruises, was named executive vice president and COO for Carnival Cruise Line.

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“As part of our ongoing efforts to continue enhancing our global operations, these moves clearly demonstrate the depth and strength of our leadership team,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp. “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.”

Antorcha replaces Orlando Ashford, who left Holland America at the end of May after five years with the premium cruise line.

In his new role, Antorcha will lead the company’s return to cruise operations and oversee sales and marketing, revenue management, deployment and itinerary planning, public relations, guest services operations and strategic planning.

Prior to becoming COO at Carnival, Antorcha served as the line’s executive vice president-guest services, responsible for onboard operations, and senior vice president-guest commerce. He previously served as a partner and managing director for Boston Consulting Group.

“We are fortunate to welcome Gus to the Holland America Line team for a new chapter at our brand,” said Kruse. “His impressive qualifications, boundless energy and passion for the cruise industry will serve us well as we prepare to resume our global operations in the next several months. These are unprecedented times, and his wisdom and competent judgement will ensure Holland America Line’s long-term success.”

Antorcha said he is eager to begin working for the brand with a reputation as the “go-to cruise line for cultural immersion. Likewise, I look forward to collaborating with our travel advisor community to continue supporting them and helping them build their Holland America Line business.”