Former Princess Cruises brand marketing boss Pieter van der Schee has accepted a role at rival operator Norwegian Cruise Line in the run up to the inaugural celebrations of Norwegian Getaway.
Van der Schee left Princess Cruises on October 8 and has been working with Norwegian since mid-October.
He told Travel Weekly he was working with Norwegian as it prepares for the launch of Norwegian Getaway in January by offering support.
“I’m helping Norwegian at the moment with the preparations for the inaugural visit of the Norwegian Getaway to Southampton next January, when they will offer British agents and cruisers a chance to experience Norwegian’s Freestyle Cruising and the Caribbean vibe onboard this brand new ship before she sails to her homeport of Miami.
“They have a lot of plans for the inaugural sailing and needed extra manpower. It’s a really exciting opportunity for me and I’m really enjoying it. They’re a great team to work with and it’s exciting to help with the launch of a new ship.”
Nick Wilkinson, director business development for UK and Ireland, said: “I can confirm that Pieter van der Schee is on a short term contract with Norwegian to work with us on the Getaway project.”
Earlier this year Van der Schee was part of the team that welcomed Royal Princess to the UK for its naming ceremony in Southampton at which the Duchess of Cambridge performed the Godmother duties.