Carnival Corporation & plc Announces Seabourn Move From Miami to Seattle, Washington

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Jan 07, 2011, 09:15 ET

MIAMI, Jan. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) has announced the relocation of its Seabourn brand headquarters to Seattle, Washington which is already home to the company's Holland America Line brand.

As a part of a reorganization plan, Seabourn and Holland America Line will maintain independent brand management teams at their joint headquarters in Seattle while leveraging efficiencies from shared resources including a unified field sales force and state of the art technology platforms.

The transition from Miami to Seattle will take place over the next few months. Seabourn's president, Pamela Conover, will continue to serve in her role during the transition period but has chosen not to move to Seattle at this time. Following the transition, she will continue to serve as special advisor and brand ambassador for Seabourn.

"Pam has played a valuable role in a number of Carnival ventures over her 16-year career here, including serving as president of Cunard and most recently Seabourn," said Micky Arison, chairman and chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation & plc. "She has been instrumental in Seabourn's recent growth with the launch of two new ships and recognition through numerous awards for best luxury cruise line."

Richard Meadows, who has held a number of executive positions at several Carnival brands during his 25-year tenure with the company, will assume Seabourn's presidency once the move to Seattle is complete. Meadows previously served as Seabourn's senior vice president of sales & marketing where he played a significant role in developing the ultra-luxury brand. He will continue in his role as executive vice president of marketing, sales & guest programs for Holland America Line. "Rick is uniquely qualified to oversee Seabourn's further progress in its new headquarters," Arison added.

"Carnival is proud of the Seabourn brand, whose name evokes the very best the cruise industry offers," Arison said. "Seabourn's move to Seattle will allow this great brand to further prosper through the natural efficiencies realized from sharing technology and support services with Holland America Line. Once the transition is completed and the synergies are fully realized, we estimate annual savings starting in 2012 in the $20 to $25 million range."

Seabourn provides ultra-luxury cruises on smaller, more intimate ships to the most desirable destinations in the world. Seabourn cruises are exceptional vacations, satisfying the highest expectations of its discerning guests. Throughout its 20-year history, Seabourn has consistently been rated not only among the top cruise lines, but also among the world's premier vacation choices. The Seabourn fleet currently includes Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, Seabourn Legend, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn. The Seabourn Quest will enter service in June of 2011.

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and P&O Cruises (Australia).

Together, these brands operate 98 ships totaling more than 191,000 lower berths with 10 new ships scheduled to be delivered between March 2011 and May 2014. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Additional information is available on-line at www.carnivalcorp.com and www.carnivalplc.com.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc