Back

 

Adam Goldstein is now president/CEO of Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. promotes Presidents: Chairman/CEO Richard Fain announced  while Celebrity President Dan Hanrahan adds CEO to his title as well.

Adam Snitzer has been named VP Marketing for Seabourn
Adam Snitzer has been named vp marketing for Seabourn. Snitzer, who was part of the Cunard team that launched QM2, has most recently been vice president of revenue management for Costa

Cunard's new ship - Queen Victoria has successfully completed her sea trials
She is seen here being put through her paces in her first photograph at sea.

Sea trials are undertaken to ensure that ships operate safely and efficiently and as such, the performance is tested in order to identify and correct any equipment issues before the vessel enters service.

The various trials test the maximum speed achievable and maneuverability to evaluate the ship's capabilities, putting stress on the major engine components to ensure they work under the most extreme conditions.

"Queen Victoria has successfully completed her first venture out to sea and now, back at the yard, her magnificent public spaces, luxurious suites and staterooms are coming to life with the addition of intriguing art work, elegant features and classical furnishings," said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line.

Queen Victoria is scheduled to arrive in Southampton for the first time on Friday, December 7, this year, where she will be named by Her Royal Highness Camilla Duchess of Cornwall at a regal ceremony on Monday, December 10, which will also be attended by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

Dave Stockert HAL`s director of sales gets ASTA`s Lifetime Achievement Award
ASTA honored Dave Stockert, director of sales and training for Holland America Line, Inc. with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented during ASTA’s annual meeting at THETRADESHOW in Las Vegas . The Lifetime Achievement award is one of the highest honors that ASTA presents to individuals.

“Dave Stockert’s expert knowledge of cruise selling has helped to enhance the profitability of travel agents,” said Cheryl Hudak, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “His excellent people and presentation skills have made him one of the most popular industry personalities.”

Stockert has worked for Holland America Line since January, 1983. He began his career with Holland America Line as district sales manager in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. He was promoted to the headquarters office in Seattle in 1985 and has worked there since. He was named Holland America Line’s Employee of the Year in 1994.

With more than 24 years of cruise industry experience, Stockert has conducted numerous seminars and workshops for national organizations such as ASTA, Ensemble, AAA and Cruise Holidays, and Cruise Planners. Stockert has also taught selling techniques in sessions devoted to helping travel professionals sell more cruises. His experience in the field has given him a comprehensive understanding of the needs of travel agents and home-based travel professionals.

ASTA Honors RCI's Adam Goldstein as Allied member of the Year
During ASTA’s Annual Meeting, Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, was  presented the Allied Member of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the travel industry. Each year, ASTA acknowledges one of its Allied members for having positively impacted the travel agency community.

TUI and Carnival withdraw anti-trust filing for joint venture

TUI AG and Carnival Corporation will withdraw their anti-trust filing with the relevant authorities for a joint venture to develop a new cruise brand. TUI and Carnival had planned a joint venture and  had filed this with the relevant authorities.

Reason for the withdrawal is the extremely difficult environment with regards to competitive law making it impossible to close the transaction in Carnival’s current business year. Failure to do so would create adverse tax consequences for the companies and would have a severe impact on the economies of the transaction. TUI and Carnival have, therefore, decided not to implement the joint venture in the proposed form.

TUI AG will stick to its plans to expand its own cruise activities. This will now happen mainly within the framework of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises today operates four cruise liners and is one of the leading operators of premium and luxury cruises in the German speaking market. The fleet includes the MS Europa, the only ship in the world rated with “5-Stars Plus” by the Berlitz Cruise Guide. In the British market, TUI’s subsidiary, TUI Travel, also operates five cruise liners under the Thomson Cruises brand as well as two ships under the Island Cruises brand.

Holland America Line Promotes Brad Olsen to Director, Tactical Marketing Communications.

Holland America Line has promoted Brad Olsen to director, Tactical Marketing Communications. Brad is responsible for the development and expansion of the company’s direct mail and e-mail marketing efforts.

“Brad’s vast experience in marketing and proven track record of success will be invaluable to this position,” said Joseph Slattery, vice president, revenue marketing for Holland America Line. “We look forward to his continued success.”

Olsen joined Holland America Line in 2001 as manager, direct marketing. Direct mail volume increased more than three fold during his tenure. He previously held various marketing leadership positions with Society Expeditions, Cruise West and Security Pacific Bank. Olsen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound.