MIAMI — Carnival Cruise Line’s President, Christine Duffy, has been recognized with CLIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024.
Duffy was honoured at the recent 2024 CLIA Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards, with an introduction by Josh Weinstein, President, CEO and Chief Climate Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Duffy, the cruise line’s first woman president, has served in this role since 2015 while simultaneously advocating for the entire cruise industry – including an appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and having also served as chair of the U.S. Travel Association, the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry, from 2020 to 2022.
She joined Carnival after a successful tenure as president and CEO of CLIA, plus she spent 10 years at Maritz Travel Company, the world’s largest corporate meeting, events and incentive travel company where she became the company’s first woman president and CEO.
At the helm of Carnival Corp.’s flagship brand, Duffy leads more than 48,000 Carnival Cruise Line team members and oversees all operations across Carnival’s fleet of 27 ships, plus three ships that sail for P&O Cruises Australia.
“I’ve felt my whole life that travel is the industry for me and while I may have missed the height requirement when I applied to become a flight attendant early in my career, I’m delighted and grateful that my work in the cruise industry has taken me to heights I never imagined,” said Duffy. “I share this honour with my Carnival family and remind everyone in our industry that our work has great impact and contributes to what are often the most memorable moments in people’s lives. Our industry generates tens of billions of dollars of economic activity and innovation every year, and we have great momentum that makes me very optimistic for our future.”
Under Duffy’s leadership, Carnival became the first major U.S. cruise line to have its entire fleet back in operations after the industry-wide pause related to the COVID pandemic. Part of that restart coincided with Carnival’s implementation of Liquefied Natural Gas, with Carnival’s Mardi Gras becoming the first LNG-powered cruise ship in North America. She continues to usher Carnival through rapid growth, with the acquisition of five new ships in a period of two years. The cruise line’s fleet expansion continues with two more of its largest and most innovative Excel-class ships in 2027 and 2028. She’s also currently focused on the development of the cruise line’s new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, which opens in July 2025.
Duffy’s tenure also includes the year-long celebration of Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th birthday in 2022 and the moment it welcomed its 100 millionth guest on board in 2023.
