Last Friday, Carnival Corporation & plc appointed David Dingle to chairman of Carnival UK, while David Noyes, currently EVP operations, was promoted to the role of CEO, with operating responsibility for the UK-based brands P&O Cruises and Cunard Line. Dingle and Noyes will take up their new roles on Oct. 1, and will both report to Carnival Corporation & plc president and CEO Arnold Donald.
Dingle, who became CEO in 2007, joined P&O Cruises in London in 1978 where, after holding a series of commercial positions, he became managing director in 2000. At the time of the merger of P&O Princess Cruises plc and the Carnival Corporation in April 2003, he became managing director of Carnival UK.
Meanwhile, Noyes joined Carnival UK in 2011 in his current position. Prior to joining Carnival, he worked in the UK travel industry for 25 years, mainly with British Airways, where he was responsible for BA’s worldwide customer services operation, and later with Gray Dawes Travel as CEO.
Holland America Line promoted Christine Thurlow to director of national accounts sales, North America, on the company’s national accounts sales team. Thurlow will report to Charles J. Dunwoody, CTC, senior director, national accounts, North America.
She originally joined Holland American Line in 1995, and was most recently manager of national accounts for Canada, a position she has held since 2001.
MSC Cruises began the process of physically enlarging the MSC Armonia, the first of four ships in the line’s fleet to undergo the Renaissance Program. During an event at Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily, the MSC Armonia's 14,000 ton bow was separated and positioned 100 feet away from her stern to allow a new pre-built 78-foot section to be inserted midship.
The $273-million Renaissance Program will enlarge and enhance the MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera, giving them all new improvements and amenities and adding up to nearly 200 new staterooms per ship. MSC Armonia entered dry dock on Aug. 31 and will remain on site for 11 weeks, until resuming service on Nov. 17 with a one-off inaugural Mediterranean cruise from Genoa to the Canary Islands.