Carnival finally realizes it has a failure to communicate, hires PR vet

After more than a year of bad press, Carnival Corp. has created a new position: senior vice president of corporate communications.

The Miami-based cruise giant announced the new job and the person who will fill it effective June 24, public relations veteran Roger Frizzell, on Tuesday.

Frizzell joins Carnival from Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where he was named vice president of corporate relations and chief communications officer in late 2011. Before that, he held a similar role at American Airlines, which he joined in September 2003.

He has worked in public relations for 30 years; his earlier career included jobs at Hewlett-Packard, Lucent Technologies and AT&T.

At Carnival Corp., Frizzell will report to Chairman and CEO Micky Arison and Howard Frank, the company’s chief operating officer. Frizzell will be the primary corporate spokesman for the parent company whose brands include Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, AIDA and others.

Frizzell will also work with the public relations representatives from the 10 individual brands.

“We are extraordinarily fortunate to have an individual of Roger’s talents and background join our company to lead this critical function,” Frank said in a statement. His extensive experience will be a tremendous asset to our organization.”

Carnival’s recent woes started in January of 2012 when the Costa Concordia struck rocks and partially capsized in Italian waters, killing 32 people aboard. This year, a disabling fire on the Carnival Triumph in February drew widespread media attention.