Christine Duffy is a busy woman. As president of Carnival Cruise Line, the flagship brand of Miami-based global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., the world’s largest leisure travel company, she leads Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet of 29 ships that homeport in North America, Europe and Australia. Together, they sail nearly six million guests annually, visit 200 destinations in more than 60 countries and employ more than 51,000 people who hail from 120 nations around the globe. Quite impressive for a woman who initially aspired to be a flight attendant but couldn’t meet the height requirements.
Duffy joined Carnival as its president in 2015 and has led a period of growth and innovation which will continue into the next decade. Most recently, Carnival acquired five ships since 2022, fully integrated P&O Cruises Australia’s operations into Carnival in 2025 and now has five additional new ships on order, including a fourth and fifth Excel class ship debuting in 2027 and 2028, and a new ship class with vessels set to launch in 2029, 2031 and 2033. She also oversaw the development and launch of Celebration Key, Carnival’s exclusive destination in The Bahamas, that opened in July 2025 and is directing the expansion of two additional destinations: RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas and Isla Tropicale in Honduras.
Duffy is a recognized leader across the travel industry. In 2023, she was re-appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to a second term on the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. From 2020 to 2022, she served as chair of the U.S. Travel Association, the leading advocacy and trade organization representing the travel industry. In 2024, she received CLIA’s Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the cruise industry and was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 List in the Lifestyle category. She has also been honored by the U.S. Coast Guard, St. Louis University and the Convention Industry Council, among others, and was a member of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference class of 2018, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious public liaison program for the Department of Defense.
Duffy continues to be a strong supporter of women’s leadership in the travel industry, leading initiatives that delivered research and programs to help women advance their careers. She was named by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality as one of its top women in travel and hospitality and is also a member of The Committee of 200, an organization of the world’s most successful women business leaders that supports, celebrates and advances women’s leadership. She was recognized by Moves magazine as a 2016 Power Women recipient for her work in serving as a role model for future generations of young women.
Duffy recently addressed a variety of cruise industry topics.
What led you to the cruise line industry?
I’ve always been passionate about travel. Early in my career, I had dreams of becoming a flight attendant, but at that time there were height requirements for the job that I didn’t quite meet so I pivoted and joined a family-owned travel agency in Philadelphia. It wasn’t until my honeymoon, when I stepped onto my very first cruise ship, that I absolutely fell in love with cruising. As a travel agent, I saw firsthand how cruising sells itself as a great vacation.
In 2011, I joined the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) as president, and that experience led me to Carnival Cruise Line. In 2015 I became Carnival’s first woman president and this past February I celebrated my 10-year anniversary. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together at Carnival. Over the past decade, we’ve celebrated the huge milestone of becoming the first cruise line to embark 100 million guests, added nine ships to the fleet here in North America and recently expanded our operations in Australia with two more ships there as well,.
What initiatives or programs has Carnival implemented to help women advance within the industry?
We’re very intentional about creating opportunities and developing talent for women particularly in shipboard roles that were traditionally held by men. I’m proud of the fact that we have significantly more women in leadership roles on our ships.
How important are leadership development programs for women in hospitality?
It’s essential for any company’s evolution, especially in hospitality, where it’s all about building human connection. At Carnival, we bring people together. We serve millions of guests from around the world, and we believe our teams should reflect that same diversity.
By investing in women, we’re creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. We’re helping individuals grow while also strengthening the entire organization – whether it’s through leadership development, community partnerships, or empowering a younger generation.
How would you describe hospitality at sea?
At Carnival, we have more than 51,000 shipboard team members representing over 120 nationalities. They are the differentiator. They help us deliver the friendly service our guests know and love. A cruise ship is certainly a unique dynamic environment, since our teams live where they work. That’s why it’s important for us to create a welcoming environment that’s equally as inclusive for our team as it is for our guests.
Explain the significance of Celebration Key.
Celebration Key is our first exclusive destination built specifically for Carnival Cruise Line guests. It’s grand opening was a major milestone in our growth and it’s already enjoying early success – enhancing the cruise vacation experience for thousands of guests each day.
The 65-acre destination is home to a 1.5-mile stretch of pristine beach, five distinct portals for unique guest experiences and an impressive list of superlatives to be enjoyed, such as the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, the world’s largest swim-up bar and swings bar, over 30 dining and beverage outlets and the largest private beach club retreat at any cruise port.
Celebration Key is also the first major project to be completed on the island of Grand Bahama in over two decades, and we’ve worked closely with the local community to ensure it delivers long-term jobs for the local economy and celebrate Bahamian heritage.
Now that our guests are enjoying all that’s in store at Celebration Key, our team is already hard at work planning new projects for the destination’s second phase. The first expansion is already underway, with a pier extension that doubles the destination’s dock capacity from two ships to four. Currently, we expect to welcome about two million visitors to Celebration Key annually, but by 2028, four million guests will visit.