Holland America Line has a new president, the current chief operations officer for Carnival Cruise Line, Gus Antorcha.

Antorcha has now been named the president of Holland America Line, with the role effective immediately. He will now report directly into Stein Kruse, group CEO of Holland America Group and Carnival UK.

The change in the global leadership was made as part of Carnival Corporation’s broader efforts to get its bevy of global brands back on their feet, and prepare the organisation for the resumption of cruising.

Along with Antorcha, Neil Palomba – currently president of Carnival’s Italian cruise line Costa Cruises – has been named executive vice president and chief operations office for Carnival Cruise Line. Palomba will report into Christine Duffy, president of the brand.

With Palomba now based at Carnival Cruise Line, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia Michael Thamm will now head up Costa’s leadership team.

Commenting on the leadership moves, CEO of Carnival Corporation Arnold Donald said:

“As part of our ongoing efforts to continue enhancing our global operations, these moves clearly demonstrate the depth and strength of our leadership team.

“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.

“Gus and Neil are both proven and strategic leaders within our organisation, and we are looking forward to their contributions and success in these new roles as we position our company and our brands for a bright future.”

In his new role, Antorcha will guide Holland America Line’s return to cruising, also guiding future growth, sales and marketing, revenue management, deployment and itinerary planning, public relations, guest services operations and strategic planning.

Antorcha has been with Carnival Cruise Line for nine years, holding several key leadership roles and supporting the brand’s growth. He has served as executive vice president, guest services, responsible for onboard operations, and senior vice president, guest commerce.

Palomba has led Costa Cruises for five years, responsibility for managing all aspects of the brand, including strategy, product design, guest care, sales, marketing, revenue management and fleet deployment. Prior to his role as president, he served as the brand’s senior vice president, hotel operations and guest experience. He has also held multiple leadership positions across the cruise industry.