New presidents at Princess Cruises, Holland America, Seabourn

Current Holland America President Antorcha will take over Princess from John Padgett, SVP/Chief Commercial Officer Bodensteiner is promoted to succeed Antorcha at HAL and Tamis returns to the Carnival group to helm Seabourn, replacing Natalya Leahy.

Antorcha and Bodensteiner will report to Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corp. & plc, and Tamis to Bodensteiner.

Proven leaders

'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,' Weinstein said. '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.'

Padgett and Leahy leaving Carnival Corp.

Antorcha starts at Princess effective Dec. 2, with Padgett stepping away from the business in mid-February.

Padgett's helmed Princess since 2021 and during more than a decade with Carnival Corp., his accomplishments include developing and launching Princess MedallionClass.

Leahy, who's served in various capacities throughout her Carnival career, rising through the ranks as CFO of HAL and Seabourn, then becoming chief operations officer for the former Holland America Group before Seabourn president, is taking a new position outside the company.

John Padgett's dedication and impact at Carnival Corp. have been'significant,' CEO Josh Weinstein said. PHOTO: PRINCESS CRUISES

Kudos for their contributions

Weinstein thanked Padgett for his service and innovation, calling his dedication and impact 'significant.' Princess MedallionClass '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,' Weinstein said.

'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,' Padgett said.

Natalya Leahy is taking a new position outside the company PHOTO: SEABOURN

As well, Carnival Corp. expressed appreciation to Leahy for all of her contributions and wished her good luck in her new role.

Gus Antorcha

Antorcha will oversee the Princess brand and its 16-ship fleet that carries more than 1.7m cruisers annually.

As Holland America president since 2020, he guided the post-pandemic return and has delivered the company's strongest financial results in 16 years, according to Carnival Corp.

Earlier, Antorcha held various leadership positions with Carnival Cruise Line including, most recently, chief operating officer. Before Carnival he was 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,' Antorcha said.

Beth Bodensteiner

A 20-year HAL veteran, as president Bodensteiner will manage all aspects of the 11-ship company that sails globally.

For six years she has served as SVP/CCO, directing revenue management, deployment and customer service, while taking on increasing commercial responsibilities, including global sales, product marketing, pricing and planning for Alaska Land + Sea Journeys, and integrated marketing, as well as commercial activities for Seabourn.

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.

'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,' Bodensteiner said.

Mark Tamis

Tamis takes Seabourn's helm after serving as global president, Aimbridge Hospitality, leading the business and operations for its 1,500 hotels. Previously he led hotel and onboard operations for Royal Caribbean International and served as SVP guest operations for Carnival Cruise Line. He also worked for more than 20 years in the luxury and boutique hotel sector with brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Ian Schrager Hotels.

He, too, has a Boston Consulting Group background and joined Carnival from there initially at the same time as Antorcha.

Tamis began his career with Four Seasons Hotels after earning a degree at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.

'The most rewarding work in my career has been my time in cruise,' Tamis said. '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.'