Kenneth Svendsen has been appointed new CEO for Entertainment Cruises, the largest dining cruise company in the United States.

Headquartered in Chicago, Entertainment Cruises serves 1.5 million guests annually with a fleet of 30 ships in cities that include Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; National Harbor, MD; Norfolk, VA; Philadelphia; New York; Fort Lauderdale; Miami; Boca Raton; Palm Beach; and Washington, D.C.

Kenneth Svendsen from Aarhus in Denmark started as tour guide in Tjæreborg Rejser.

Most recently, he served as president of the Walt Disney Travel Company, an affiliate of The Disney Company, one of the country’s largest travel wholesalers, and served as senior vice president of global sales, distribution, and travel operations for Disney Destinations.

Additionally, Svendsen led Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, where he focused on one-on-one guest interactions and experiences.
Prior to Disney, Svendsen was senior vice president and global head of sales and reservations for Hilton Worldwide . As the group transitioned from a regional to a global entity, Svendsen oversaw global sales, distribution, regional marketing, reservations, customer service and quality assurance for the Hilton Worldwide’s global hotel portfolio.

“Having led transformative growth at two world-renowned companies, Kenneth is a great example of the energetic, transformative, visionary business leaders with whom we work best,” said J.B. Pritzker, managing partner of Pritzker Group and Chairman of Entertainment Cruises. “His collaborative, results-driven approach will be an excellent fit for Entertainment Cruises’ commitment to creating unforgettable memories for its guests.”