Maurice Zarmati has been named president and CEO of Costa Cruise Lines—North America. Zarmati, who is currently vice president of sales for Carnival Cruise Lines, will assume his new role beginning March 31, 2008. An accomplished sales executive, Zarmati has been with Carnival Cruise Lines since 1972, leading one of the largest and most successful sales teams in North America.

In his new role as president and CEO of Costa Cruise Lines—North America, Zarmati will report directly to Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere, and will be responsible for all sales and marketing efforts for Costa’s North and Central American regions. This includes sales development, marketing, revenue management, finance, human resources and passenger services. In the interim before Zarmati begins his position, Joni L. Rein, vice president of sales development and Ruben Perez, vice president of passenger services, will oversee all main functionalities of the Costa North America office.

“Maurice is well known and respected throughout the cruise industry for his numerous accomplishments and successes, so naturally we’re thrilled to have him lead up the efforts for our North and Central American markets, which are key to the continued growth and success of the overall Costa Crociere brand,” said Onorato. “Maurice brings nearly four decades of experience to the role, having led one of the biggest and best sales teams in North America with our sister company, Carnival Cruise Lines. We look forward to welcoming him to the Costa family in the next month.”