Carnival Corporation has announced John Padgett will step into the role of president with Princess Cruises, effective immediately.

He will oversee all performance and operational functions of the line 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 Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia brands.

Swartz herself has served as president of Princess Cruises since 2013.

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.

“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.

Prior to becoming chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, Padgett worked for 18 years with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts where he spearheaded the invention, development and implementation of guest engagement innovations.

“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 honour.”