Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises – operating as the RCL Cruises Ltd business in the UK and Ireland - has appointed a new PR Head of Public Relations to bolster its in-house marketing and communications team.

Louise James (nee Moore) joins RCL Cruises Ltd on 11th July 2011 and will head up the PR function of the business including the press office and new marcomms campaigns for the business. Surinder Manku, press officer for RCL Cruises Ltd will report to James. The new Head of PR will also manage the relationship with Siren PR, the agency who has worked with RCL Cruises Ltd for the past 6 years.

With a track record in lifestyle PR, including luxury hotels and design brands, James joins from agency Purple PR. Previous career experience also includes hotel brands such as Morgans Hotel Group, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and the Passenger Shipping Association - the industry body for the cruise sector - as well as tourist boards and tour operators.

James will report to the RCL Cruises Ltd associate vice president and general manager Jo Rzymowska as well as working alongside the 22 strong marketing team.

Jo Rzymowska commented:

“The marketing and communications need for the RCL Cruises Ltd business has evolved significantly in recent years. As well as celebrating new ships, we are investing in increasing our brand awareness within the overall holiday sector. The new PR appointment is a key development to aid this area of our communications strategy and I’m excited to welcome Louise James to the team.”

The RCL Cruises Ltd business continues to grow in the UK and Ireland and has several ships based from UK ports of call that have significantly increased its market share. Its investment in the cruise market includes two further new ships from Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Silhouette will launch later in July this year, and Celebrity Reflection will join the fleet in September 2012. Plus, hot on the heels of introducing the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships, Royal Caribbean International has signed a letter of intent to build a new class of ships under the working title ‘Project Sunshine’. Azamara Club Cruises continues to enhance its destination cruise line credentials with ongoing developments to increase the immersive nature of the cruise experience for guests.