MIAMI (Nov. 6, 2019) – Continuing the ongoing partnership between Carnival and Grand Bahama, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and members of her senior leadership team visited the island  to meet with government officials, tour the line’s development site and host GirlCON’s third annual conference aboard Carnival Glory.

“We welcome Christine and the Carnival leadership team to our island,” said Senator The Honorable Kwasi Thompson, Minister of State for Grand Bahama. “I speak on behalf of Grand Bahama in saying that we fully embrace Carnival’s partnership efforts which have been social and economic and we are very confident this will be a meaningful experience for all.”

“We are so excited to visit beautiful Grand Bahama and tour the site of our development.  We are looking forward to getting our project started in the near future,” said Duffy. “And working with GirlCON is just one of the many ways we plan to partner with the Grand Bahamian community and show our commitment to making a positive impact on the island.”

GirlCON’s event was designed to promote the organization’s vision of inspiring and empowering young Bahamian women. Duffy delivered the keynote address to 350 high school juniors and seniors of Grand Bahama, many of whom have been impacted by Hurricane Dorian. The program also included a panel discussion with Carnival’s Chief Human Resources Officer Bettina Deynes on the challenges she and other panelists faced working in traditionally male-dominated fields, while encouraging and guiding the next generation of female leaders as they prepare for their journeys after high school.

“GirlCON’s mission is to shape the future leaders of Grand Bahama, so I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this meaningful conversation and to help inspire the young women in attendance,” said Deynes.

“When I started this organization, my mission was to create an empowerment tool that the young Bahamian women could use to grow their personal successes and in turn create strong futures. For the past two years, I’ve seen this vision transform into a reality impacting the lives of more than 700 young women,” said Senator Katherine Smith-Forbes, founder and president of GirlCON. “I’ve always been proud of the work that we do, but having Carnival’s support this year following Hurricane Dorian has made our annual GirlCON event even more special.”

As one of the largest year-round supporters of tourism to Grand Bahama, Carnival brings more than 400,000 guests a year to the island aboard 10 different ships departing from nine different U.S. homeports, providing a significant impact to the local economy. Carnival Cruise Line's new Grand Bahama destination will be developed on the south side of the island in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the government of The Bahamas. The new destination will offer guests a uniquely Bahamian destination with a spectacular beachfront and exciting features, along with job opportunities and positive economic impact for the local community. More details will be revealed over the coming months.

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com. For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL. Carnival can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Journalists also can visit Carnival’s media site, carnival-news.com or follow the line’s PR department on Twitter at twitter.com/CarnivalPR.