New HAL President

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, lcand1923 said:

According to a search, Mr. Antorcha spent about a year in Sea World.  Is that true?  I'm wondering how that experience will impact his handling of entertainment on HAL.  Heaven knows, activities on Sea Days have completely disappeared in the past two years. 

 

Best of luck, Mr. Antorcha!

 

That reminds me of our last visit there in San Diego when it was still a much visited venue. Why does Seaworld have a seafood restaurant? I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God…I could be eating a slow learner

[rkacruiser]

Having Boston Consulting Group experience is surely a positive for me.  

 

37 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

I agree, BCG hires smart folks.  But a good number of their 'innovative changes' in the corporate world came only from detached armchair experience.  Glad to see he then actually moved into the cruise industry for a good number of years. The fact the experience is with Carnival I think is a good thing. He surely knows the internal corporate workings of big Carnival already.  I'm positively inclined.

 

Experience as an executive within the Carnival family of operating companies has to be a positive, I think.  I am very encouraged by this gentleman's appointment as President of HAL.

[kelleherdl]

5 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

That reminds me of our last visit there in San Diego when it was still a much visited venue. Why does Seaworld have a seafood restaurant? I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God…I could be eating a slow learner

Nah.  He was just still in school.

[rkacruiser]

There has been concerns expressed on the Seabourn Message Board that their new President would be involved with whatever happens with HAL and its cruise product.  The view was, I think, and to which I agreed, in this era of needing to save some corporate dollars, having one President for HAL and Seabourn made sense.  Obviously, that has not happened.

 

Best wishes for the success of our new HAL President!

[Copper10-8]

24 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

There has been concerns expressed on the Seabourn Message Board that their new President would be involved with whatever happens with HAL and its cruise product.  The view was, I think, and to which I agreed, in this era of needing to save some corporate dollars, having one President for HAL and Seabourn made sense.  Obviously, that has not happened.

 

Best wishes for the success of our new HAL President!

 

Both HAL's and Seabourne's new presidents still report to the CEO of the HAL Group, Stein Kruse, as do the other two presidents in that group, those from Princess and P&O Australia.  

[HamOp]

42 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

That reminds me of our last visit there in San Diego when it was still a much visited venue. Why does Seaworld have a seafood restaurant? I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God…I could be eating a slow learner

Only the strong (or smart) survive.....🐟

[rkacruiser]

23 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Both HAL's and Seabourne's new presidents still report to the CEO of the HAL Group, Stein Kruse, as do the other two presidents in that group, those from Princess and P&O Australia.  

 

And, that is good because I do believe in Mr. Kruse's ability and knowledge.  

[erewhon]

Thank you for this information and posting the link.

Best wishes to the new president for a success with HAL.

[DeeDee Groff]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Having Boston Consulting Group experience is surely a positive for me.  

 

 

Experience as an executive within the Carnival family of operating companies has to be a positive, I think.  I am very encouraged by this gentleman's appointment as President of HAL.

 

Same here, and I believe the Duke connection to Arnold Donald will be another positive.

[NordicPrince]

17 hours ago, lcand1923 said:

According to a search, Mr. Antorcha spent about a year in Sea World.  Is that true?  I'm wondering how that experience will impact his handling of entertainment on HAL.  Heaven knows, activities on Sea Days have completely disappeared in the past two years. 

 

Best of luck, Mr. Antorcha!

He was there for 10 months. What can anyone accomplish in that amount of time? He probably went there to save a dying place. Well, he's come back for another rescue.

[colonialinnkeeper]

Thanks for posting.  We are glad that Gus has, not only cruise experience, but experience with Carnival so the learning curve of the inner workings will have already been accomplished.  We are hopeful that he can bring back more of the spirit of HAL while also offering things the next generation of cruisers is looking for.   While cruising is on hold, we hope that the time can be used to examine all aspects of what the HAL cruise offers and its niche in the cruising community

 

Congratulations Gus and welcome.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

That reminds me of our last visit there in San Diego when it was still a much visited venue. Why does Seaworld have a seafood restaurant? I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God…I could be eating a slow learner

 

I love your sense of humor!  I wonder when the gentleman was at Seaworld?  It has been several years since I visited that Park, but there entertainment was great.  (That was the time, though, when Anheuser-Busch was still the owner.)  

[gejmeadows]

On 7/9/2020 at 10:36 AM, DFD1 said:

I just hope he slows the "Carnivalization of HAL". I doubt it can stand much more of that. IMO

 

 

[gejmeadows]

Keep the ships smaller, the entertainment and facilities aimed toward us older cruisers.

[NordicPrince]

8 minutes ago, gejmeadows said:

Keep the ships smaller, the entertainment and facilities aimed toward us older cruisers.

Lawrence Welk is dead. Doing good with the Music Walk.

[RuthC]

18 minutes ago, NordicPrince said:

Lawrence Welk is dead.

However, The Great American Songbook is alive and well. One venue where that music is played would be nice. 
How about the Ocean Bar. Pre-dinner cocktails with lovely music was always a great way to start---and later, end---the evening. 

[Himself]

On 7/9/2020 at 7:46 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

And, that is good because I do believe in Mr. Kruse's ability and knowledge.  

I have confidence in Mr. Stein Kruse. I like the way he ran HAL.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

46 minutes ago, Himself said:

I have confidence in Mr. Stein Kruse. I like the way he ran HAL.

Well, he has been the overseer of the HAL group within  Carnival Corp during the entire tenure of Mr Ashford, so one would assume he had some knowledge or input into decisions made at HAL by Mr Ashford and his team.  

[DeeDee Groff]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

However, The Great American Songbook is alive and well. One venue where that music is played would be nice. 
How about the Ocean Bar. Pre-dinner cocktails with lovely music was always a great way to start---and later, end---the evening. 

 

Ditto!

[cruisemom42]

10 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Well, he has been the overseer of the HAL group within  Carnival Corp during the entire tenure of Mr Ashford, so one would assume he had some knowledge or input into decisions made at HAL by Mr Ashford and his team.  

 

Exactly. I so often find myself thinking -- do people really think Kruse didn't sign off on, or at least approve the general direction of Ashford's policies?  (Or even have dictated them?)

Edited July 13, 2020 by cruisemom42

[cwtravel]

13 hours ago, gejmeadows said:

Keep the ships smaller, the entertainment and facilities aimed toward us older cruisers.

This president will have the same issues as the past president and that is attracting new customers and focusing on the future, not the past

 

Let’s assume Gus was interviewed by various people/groups within corporate Carnival. Do you really think his vision laid out in interviews for the position is re-creating the past? Prioritizing the wishes of the 75-85 year old loyal cruiser vs. the wishes of a 45-55 year old new cruiser? He, like Mr. Ashford and his team has to implement a strategy to hit/exceed revenue, profit and customer service goals. I doubt having a product and environment from 1992 is going to accomplish those goals.

[iancal]

Agree.  I believe that it is incredible that some people think that HAL and the new leader  will simply turn the clock back to 'the good old days'.  

 

Besides, post covid may be a completely different ball game for HAL and for the rest of the industry.

 

The notion that all the bad things were down to Mr. Ashford with little or no input, direction, or approval from those he reported to makes no sense.  But, it does enable some people to transfer their criticism away from HAL on to the shoulders of Mr. Ashford.

 

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by iancal

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, cwtravel said:

This president will have the same issues as the past president and that is attracting new customers and focusing on the future, not the past

 

Let’s assume Gus was interviewed by various people/groups within corporate Carnival. Do you really think his vision laid out in interviews for the position is re-creating the past? Prioritizing the wishes of the 75-85 year old loyal cruiser vs. the wishes of a 45-55 year old new cruiser? He, like Mr. Ashford and his team has to implement a strategy to hit/exceed revenue, profit and customer service goals. I doubt having a product and environment from 1992 is going to accomplish those goals.

If all small ports will deny ships over a thousand passengers then what you're gonna do?

[iancal]

Simple.  Move over to those remaining post covid cruise lines that feature smaller ships.  Nothing stopping folks from booking Prinsendam on Phoenix Reisen or from looking at Azamara, Oceania, Regent, etc. offerings.

Edited July 13, 2020 by iancal

[AtlantaCruiser72]

47 minutes ago, iancal said:

Simple.  Move over to those remaining post covid cruise lines that feature smaller ships.  Nothing stopping folks from booking Prinsendam on Phoenix Reisen or from looking at Azamara, Oceania, Regent, etc. offerings.

 

Well actually there is - many on here seem to want HAL pricing at the quality level and vessel size of those cruise lines, and there's the rub, ye can't have both.