Holland America Line Bill Sharp ~ Vice President - Port and Shore Operations Appointed in November 2003, Bill Sharp is vice president, port and shore operations for Holland America Line Inc., a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc. He over- sees worldwide port and ground operations for Holland America Line's fleet of five-star vessels. Sharp began his Holland America Line career as director of port operations in April 1996, bringing a 18-year background in port operations throughout Alaska, primarily responsible for oversight of cruise and cargo port operations. Prior to joining Holland America Line, Sharp was vice president of operations at Southeast Stevedoring Corp and Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska.
Elena Vlad ~ Senior Manager, Shore Excursions, South America, Northern Isles, Caribbean/Panama Canal Elena began her professional career as a classically trained ballerina but soon discovered her language skills (fluent in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and her native Romanian) were a perfect fit for the cruise industry and found herself working on board Festival Cruise Lines where shore excursions quickly became her home. More than 14 years later she brings a collection of on board and office experience to her current position managing Holland America Line's shore excursions programs for the Caribbean, Central America, South America and the Northern Isles. She is also responsible for the hiring and planning of shore excursion shipboard team members for the entire Holland America Line fleet. Elena currently resides in Washington with her husband Lance and enjoys wonderful views of Puget Sound where they often watch cruise ships journey from Seattle on to destinations full of potential shore excursions. Elena's mission is to make the world smaller by creating possibilities for everyone to visit the places of existing dreams and places of dreams not yet dreamt.
CRUISE INDUSTRY PROFILES
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