Skift Take
Will Bob Dickinson try to right the ship? While his initial consulting assignment supposedly will deal with Carnival's travel agency relationships, we wouldn't be surprised if his assignment broadens into other areas, such as Carnival's rocky last couple of years.
After several months of instability, the world's largest cruise ship company is bringing back a familiar face.
Bob Dickinson, who retired as president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines in 2007 after a 35-year career with the line, has entered into a consulting agreement with parent company Carnival Corp.
In an interview Monday morning, Dickinson said his initial assignment would be to examine travel agent relationships with the company's North American brands: Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Line. His role will include studying agent perceptions of the brands compared to perceptions of their competitors, cooperation between brands and agents and best practices.
"Because I'm not tied to any one brand, I have sort of a 30,000-foot look at it; I can be very, very objective," said Dickinson, 70. "It may be difficult for a brand to say 'Ge
