Christine Duffy is president of Carnival Cruise Line, certified as a Great Place to Work™ and the flagship brand of Miami-based global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., the world’s largest leisure travel company. As president, she leads a company with a fleet of 23 ships, sailing nearly six million guests annually and employing more than 40,000 people who hail from 120 nations around the globe. 

Christine joined the cruise industry in 2011 when she was named president and CEO of CLIA.  Prior to CLIA, Christine spent 10 years at Maritz Travel Company, the world’s largest corporate meeting, events and incentive travel company where she served six years as president and CEO. 

Christine is the chair of the U.S. Travel Association, the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2021, she was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board where she serves on the committee on Climate Change. She is a member of the board of directors of Aimbridge Hospitality, the global leader in hotel management services, and Herschend Family Entertainment, the nation’s largest family-owned operator of themed attractions, including Dollywood and Branson’s Silver Dollar City. She sits on the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of which Carnival Cruise Line is the official celebration partner.

Building upon its leadership position in the cruise industry, Mardi Gras is Carnival’s most innovative ship. In addition to a number of never-before-seen innovations like the first roller coaster at sea, it is the first ship in North America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Additionally, Mardi Gras offers an extensive array of popular Carnival guest favorites along with new exciting experiences, including Emeril’s Bistro 1396 created by legendary New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse housed in the ship’s French Quarter, one of six themed zones. Throughout the ship’s 20 decks and in each of these distinctive areas, guests find fun, memorable ways to create their own personalized vacation with dining, libation, entertainment, recreation, and relaxation options. Carnival Celebration, sister ship to Mardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in November 2022 from PortMiami, as well as Carnival Jubilee from Galveston in 2023. Carnival looks forward to bringing these next generation ships to Grand Bahama, which will be the perfect destination for builds of this magnitude and innovativeness.