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Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional

June 2013 Edition

Big Shake up at Carnival UK

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News that took the cruising community by surprise was that Cunard president Peter Shanks and P&O Cruises managing director, Chris Marlow , or at least their positions, according to Carnival UK, were being terminated with effect from the end of September.

Along with this radical action it was announced that Carnival UK chief executive David Dingle would take over as chief executive of both Cunard and P&O.

Giles Hawke, former Complete Cruise Solution sales director, has also resigned after eleven years to announce that he will take up a senior position with another cruise line in November.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph this weekend, David Dingle was quoted as saying that he needed “people who have real specialization in marketing, distribution and revenue management. Peter and Carol were finding it harder to have a role in this organization because their skills are more as general managers.”

“I want to bring in newcomers to the brands and newcomers happen to have a lower average age,” Dingle is quoted as saying. The old brands are thrown out while new brand building is to commence for both P&O and Cunard.

Carol Marlow has been with Carnival for sixteen years, and has headed brands including Swan Hellenic, Princess Cruises UK, Cunard and P&O Cruises.

Peter Shanks joined Carnival UK eleven years ago, and has held executive positions with Cunard, Ocean Village and Princess Cruises UK in that time.

This storm began in December when Premier Inns executive Gerard Tempest was recruited as Carnival UK’s chief commercial officer, reporting to Dingle. Six months later the result has been announced. Whether Lenny Henry will be brought in to welcome the new P&O liner in 2015 has not yet been revealed.