Carnival's Christine Duffy inducted into CLIA Hall of Fame

At a ceremony Duffy was inducted into CLIA’s Hall of Fame, introduced by her boss, Josh Weinstein, president/CEO, Carnival Corp. & plc.

Leads 48,000 team members, 27 Fun Ships and more

Duffy leads more than 48,000 Carnival team members who deliver fun and memorable cruises to more than 5.5m passengers each year. She helms all operations for the fleet of 27 Fun Ships sailing from 14 US homeports and two homeports in Australia, where she also oversees the operations of 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,' Duffy said.

'I share this honor 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'

Five new ships in two years

Duffy is ushering Carnival through rapid growth, with five new ships in just two years. The expansion continues with another pair of Excel-class ships in 2027 and 2028. She’s also currently focused on developing Celebration Key, set to open in July 2025.

Under Duffy’s leadership, Carnival became the first major US cruise line to have its entire fleet back in operations after the industry-wide pandemic shutdown. Part of that restart coincided with Carnival’s implementation of LNG, with Mardi Gras becoming the first LNG-powered cruise ship in North America.

Duffy’s tenure also includes several major milestones in company history, including the year-long celebration of Carnival's 50th birthday in 2022 and when it welcomed its 100 millionth guest on board in 2023.

Carnival president since 2015

Duffy has served as Carnival president since 2015 and advocated for the entire cruise industry including an appointment by the secretary of commerce to the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and chairing the US Travel Association, the nonprofit representing all components of the travel industry, from 2020 to 2022.

She joined Carnival after serving as president and CEO of CLIA during a particularly challenging time. Earlier, she spent 10 years at Maritz Travel Co., the world’s largest corporate meeting, events and incentive travel company where she became the company’s first woman president and CEO.

US Travel leadership and women's advocate

While leading Maritz, Duffy played an important role with industry leaders and US Travel during the financial crisis of 2008, raising awareness about the importance of business travel and solidifying support in Washington. Her leadership led to a number of initiatives, including the first public/private partnership to promote international travel to the US, creating what is known today as Brand USA.

Throughout her career, Duffy has been a strong supporter of women’s leadership in the travel industry, fostering initiatives that delivered research and programs to help women advance their careers.

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