Princess Cruises has appointed Natasha Lizardos as sales operations manager on a 12-month contract.

Lizardos was previously with Thomas Cook for 20 years and has held other regional cruise expert and various store manager positions.

The appointment has been made as Rachel Poultney, Princess’ sales director for UK & Europe, starts maternity leave in January. From 2 December, Poultney will be temporarily replaced by Karen Farndell, who is currently the line’s UK senior sales manager.

In turn, Farndell’s position will be filled by Mark Lowman, sales operations manager.

Lizardos will be responsible for Princess Cruises’ trade sales operations activities including online training, online and offline campaign collateral, events and communications.

Princess Cruises vice-president for the UK and Europe Tony Roberts said: “We are delighted to welcome someone with Natasha’s skills and experience to the team with so much on the horizon for us.

“At the same time I’m pleased we are giving such talented team members as Karen and Mark the opportunity to step up. This is the perfect time for them to take on high profile roles as we look to further bolster our relationship with the trade.”

Lizardos added: “With the recent arrival of Sky Princess, the upcoming launch of Enchanted Princess as well as the roll-out of OceanMedallion, this is a really exciting time for Princess Cruises. I am absolutely delighted to be joining their dynamic team.

“I bring a wealth of cruise and retail knowledge and experience from my time with Thomas Cook and look forward to engaging with all our trade partners and agents in the coming months, providing them with all the tools they need to sell this fantastic premium cruise brand.”