president of princess cruise lines

Carnival Corp. Names John Padgett as President of Princess Cruises

• October 12, 2021

Carnival Corporation has announced John Padgett as the new president of Princess Cruises, effective immediately.

Padgett will oversee all performance and operational functions of Princess Cruises and its global fleet of 14 ships.

He will report directly to Jan Swartz, group president of Holland America Group, which includes the company’s Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia brands. Swartz has served as president of Princess Cruises since 2013, guiding the brand’s strategic growth, Carnival said, in a statement sent out.

Since July 2014, Padgett has served as chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, responsible for guest experience innovation, development, creation and operations integration, according to a press release.

Specifically for the Princess Cruises brand, Padgett has been a key player in the development and implementation of the Princess MedallionClass experience delivering a more personalized, simplified and connected onboard experience for all guests and crew that is now available on the entire Princess fleet.

“John is the mastermind behind our state-of-the-art OCEAN platform and was a key player in our fleet transformation, working closely with Princess team members in virtually every area of our operation to enable the MedallionClass experience for all our guests,” said Swartz. “John’s vision, drive and performance, combined with his commitment to providing the best guest experience in the industry, have helped position Princess for success well into the future. We warmly welcome John to the role and look forward to his stewardship as we navigate this fast-changing, dynamic environment.”

“Carnival Corporation’s cruise brand portfolio, global fleets, destinations and most importantly dedicated shipboard and shoreside teams have provided an unmatched platform to drive guest-focused innovation,” said Padgett. “The opportunity to lead the iconic Princess brand and to help take the cruise content — including hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, merchandise and destination experiences — to new levels is an absolute honor.”

Prior to becoming chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, Padgett worked for 18 years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he spearheaded the invention, development and implementation of guest engagement innovations that include the MagicBand, FastPass+ and Disney’s Magical Express, among others.

Padgett earned a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech and holds over two dozen patents and multiple innovation awards.

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John Padgett is the new President of Princess Cruises

Carnival Corporation today announced John Padgett as president of Princess Cruises, effective immediately.

Serving as president of one of Carnival Corporation's most iconic cruise line brands, Padgett will oversee all performance and operational functions of Princess Cruises and its global fleet of 14 ships sailing cruise guests to nearly 400 destinations around the world annually. He will report directly to Jan Swartz, group president of Holland America Group, which includes the company's Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia brands. Swartz has served as president of Princess Cruises since 2013, guiding the brand's strategic growth as the world's leading international premium cruise line and its emergence as a leader in innovating the total guest experience for cruise vacations.

Diamond Princess

Since July 2014, Padgett has served as chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, responsible for guest experience innovation, development, creation and operations integration. In this role, he helped transform the approach to creating differentiated guest experiences based on personal interactions and tailored to the interests and preferences of individual guests, further enhancing one of the world's most popular vacations. Headlining the 2017 CES show with Princess Cruises' innovation and creating an extensive patent portfolio, Padgett and his innovation team also created original TV and digital content programming highlighting the extraordinary experiences guests enjoy while on a cruise vacation for over 900 million viewers around the world, expanding awareness and demand-generation for cruising. In his new role, Padgett will also retain leadership of the corporation's innovation unit.

Specifically for the Princess Cruises brand, Padgett has been a key player in the development and implementation of the Princess MedallionClass® experience delivering a more personalized, simplified and connected onboard experience for all guests and crew that is now available on the entire Princess fleet. This includes the creation and development of the award-winning Medallion® wearable device and the enabling OCEAN® platform that enhances and personalizes the overall cruise experience ranging from world-class dining and beverages, entertainment and spas to on-shore excursions, merchandise and hotel guest services. Throughout the fleet transformation, Padgett became connected with thousands of Princess guests, travel agents and destination partners spanning the world.

"John is the mastermind behind our state-of-the-art OCEAN platform and was a key player in our fleet transformation, working closely with Princess team members in virtually every area of our operation to enable the MedallionClass experience for all our guests," said Swartz. "John's vision, drive and performance, combined with his commitment to providing the best guest experience in the industry, have helped position Princess for success well into the future. We warmly welcome John to the role and look forward to his stewardship as we navigate this fast-changing, dynamic environment."

"Carnival Corporation's cruise brand portfolio, global fleets, destinations and most importantly dedicated shipboard and shoreside teams have provided an unmatched platform to drive guest-focused innovation," said Padgett. "The opportunity to lead the iconic Princess brand and to help take the cruise content -- including hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, merchandise and destination experiences -- to new levels is an absolute honor."

Prior to becoming chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, Padgett worked for 18 years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he spearheaded the invention, development and implementation of guest engagement innovations that include the MagicBand, FastPass+ and Disney's Magical Express, among others.

Padgett earned a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in finance from Virginia Tech and holds over two dozen patents and multiple innovation awards.  

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Carnival Corporation Names John Padgett as President of Princess Cruises

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Carnival Corporation &plc  (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today announced John Padgett as president of Princess Cruises, effective immediately.

Serving as president of one of Carnival Corporation’s most iconic cruise line brands, Padgett will oversee all performance and operational functions of Princess Cruises and its global fleet of 14 ships sailing cruise guests to nearly 400 destinations around the world annually. He will report directly to Jan Swartz, group president of Holland America Group, which includes the company’s Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia brands.

Since July 2014, Padgett has served as chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, responsible for guest experience innovation, development, creation and operations integration. In this role, he helped transform the approach to creating differentiated guest experiences based on personal interactions and tailored to the interests and preferences of individual guests, further enhancing one of the world’s most popular vacations. Headlining the 2017 CES show with Princess Cruises’ innovation and creating an extensive patent portfolio, Padgett and his innovation team also created original TV and digital content programming highlighting the extraordinary experiences guests enjoy while on a cruise vacation for over 900 million viewers around the world, expanding awareness and demand-generation for cruising. In his new role, Padgett will also retain leadership of the corporation’s innovation unit.

Specifically for the Princess Cruises brand, Padgett has been a key player in the development and implementation of the Princess MedallionClass® experience delivering a more personalized, simplified and connected onboard experience for all guests and crew that is now available on the entire Princess fleet. This includes the creation and development of the award-winning Medallion® wearable device and the enabling OCEAN® platform that enhances and personalizes the overall cruise experience ranging from world-class dining and beverages, entertainment and spas to on-shore excursions, merchandise and hotel guest services. Throughout the fleet transformation, Padgett became connected with thousands of Princess guests, travel agents and destination partners spanning the world.

“John is the mastermind behind our state-of-the-art OCEAN platform and was a key player in our fleet transformation, working closely with Princess team members in virtually every area of our operation to enable the MedallionClass experience for all our guests,” said Swartz. “John’s vision, drive and performance, combined with his commitment to providing the best guest experience in the industry, have helped position Princess for success well into the future. We warmly welcome John to the role and look forward to his stewardship as we navigate this fast-changing, dynamic environment.”

“Carnival Corporation’s cruise brand portfolio, global fleets, destinations and most importantly dedicated shipboard and shoreside teams have provided an unmatched platform to drive guest-focused innovation,” said Padgett. “The opportunity to lead the iconic Princess brand and to help take the cruise content — including hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, merchandise and destination experiences — to new levels is an absolute honor.”

Prior to becoming chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, Padgett worked for 18 years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he spearheaded the invention, development and implementation of guest engagement innovations that include the MagicBand, FastPass+ and Disney’s Magical Express, among others.

Padgett earned a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech and holds over two dozen patents and multiple innovation awards.

Media Contacts

Contact information for members of the media

Media Relations Department, Princess Cruises 24305 Town Center Drive Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Phone : 1 661 753 1530 Email :  [email protected]

Not a member of the media? 

Contact us at: 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or 1-661-753-0000

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Princess cruises boss john padgett: 'i want to make line the best in uk'.

The boss of Princess Cruises believes growing the line’s fly-cruise business rather than homeporting a new ship in Southampton could help it become the biggest in the UK. 

Princess has seen the number of UK passengers hit record levels for third successive year with bookings for 2025 20% ahead of where they were this time last year. 

When the line’s president John Padgett was asked by TTG if he planned to bring a Sphere-class vessel here as a reward for the strong booking levels, he said: “Princess is a globally deployed cruise brand. We sail to 330 destinations around the world and we really value the fly-cruise market out of the UK. 

“We want to make sure our UK guests know all of our products on our ships so that they can sail all around the world.”

He added: “I want to make sure Princess is the best cruise line in the UK. We offer a great experience that the UK consumer loves. I don’t think I need to put a Sphere-class ship in the UK, you can get the best Princess experience on all of our ships.” 

Eithne Williamson, Princess Cruises’ UK and Europe vice-president, revealed the line’s fly-cruise business is “growing”. “We’re 13% up year-on-year for fly-cruise bookings,” she said. “That is where I want to keep our focus.” 

In August, Princess agreed a deal with the UK’s third-largest airline Jet2 to fly passengers from Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow to the Mediterranean next year. 

But Williamson highlighted how the line also scheduled air capacity to other destinations including Alaska where the incoming Star Princess will operate in summer 2026. 

Earlier this year, Williamson told TTG how air lift "challenges" can be a booking barrier as she outlined how she wanted to structure the line’s air programme . 

“I want to keep growing our market share,” she said. “We have fly-cruise options in the Med, Caribbean and Alaska. We have Jet2 flying passengers to the Med and then scheduled air to Alaska.”

Sun Princess, which is currently operating a 16-day transatlantic cruise to Fort Lauderdale, US, was delayed prior to launching earlier this year to allow for more time for construction to be completed. 

However, Padgett insisted sister vessel, Star Princess, would not be delayed next year. “We’re on course for Star to be delivered on time,” he said. “Star is intended to be a duplicate of Sun Princess. 

“We don’t want to make too many adjustments. We want Star to be delivered on time as Sun Princess is performing exceptionally well.”

Padgett confirmed “tweaks” were still being made to Sun Princess despite its strong performance since launching six months ago. 

“We’re making some tweaks to Sun Princess as you may have heard,” he said. “We’re changing six of the restaurants around. 

“We’re reconfiguring ‘Park 19’ and making it into a more recreational area with pickle ball courts and basketball courts. We’re not changing any of the concepts around.” 

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• Princess Cruises

email contacts for Princess President and CEO

By jpinperth , November 13, 2007 in Princess Cruises

Recommended Posts

This will seem like a crazy question, but does anyone know if it is possible to get the email contact for the President of Princess?

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I was able to find the following:

Customer service resources

Customer service main page

Passage contract

E-mail form

Primary e-mail

[email protected]

Primary contact

Senior vice president, customer service and sales

[email protected]

(661) 753-0000

Chief executive (*)

Alan Buckelew

[email protected]

(305) 599-2600

* Executives should only be contacted when your letter or email has not been acknowledged within six to eight weeks.

Many thanks for the info.

You are more than welcomed.

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

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News Release

Carnival corporation announces jan swartz as group president, holland america group.

Jan Swartz has been named group president of Holland America Group , responsible for Princess Cruises , Holland America Line , Seabourn and P&O Australia, as well as Holland America Princess Alaska Tours and inter-group operations.

Arnold Donald , president and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. "Jan is a champion of innovation and a proven leader."

In 2016, Swartz was named as group president of Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia, as well as having executive oversight of the P&O Cruises Australia brand.

Previously, in 2013, she was appointed president of Princess Cruises after more than 12 years working with the cruise line. Prior to this, she served as executive vice president, overseeing the line's sales, marketing and customer service operations, a position held since 2009.

In 2004, Swartz served as senior vice president of sales and customer service for both Princess and sister brand Cunard, and in 2001, she was appointed vice president of strategy and business development and worked on the P&O Princess acquisition by Carnival Corporation .

Additionally, Swartz is the president of the Princess Cruises Community Foundation .

Swartz holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia .

About Carnival Corporation & plc Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia , its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line , Princess Cruises , Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises ( Australia ), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises , P&O Cruises ( UK ) and Cunard.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com , www.princess.com , www.hollandamerica.com , www.seabourn.com , www.pocruises.com.au , www.costacruise.com , www.aida.de , www.pocruises.com  and www.cunard.com .

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, [email protected], (305) 406-7862, Mike Flanagan, LDWW, [email protected], (727) 452-4538

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Carnival Cruise Line, also known as America’s Cruise Line, is a leader in contemporary cruising and operates a fleet of ships designed to provide fun and memorable vacation experiences at a great value. Visit: www.carnival.com

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P&O Cruises (UK) is Britain’s favorite cruise line with a fleet of ships combining genuine service and a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Visit: www.pocruises.co.uk

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