CLIA | Cruise Lines International Association

📺 CLIA Currents Live returns for the 40th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global! Don't miss our first episode of this year's coverage, as co-hosts Mike Faust and Heather Wyatt share some exciting highlights from CLIA's exclusive Business on the Bay event, including The Hon. Ginger M Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama, Member of Parliament (PLP), Pineridge, who shares some of the history and fun of Junkanoo and its importance to Bahamain culture. 🇧🇸 Later this week ➡️ We'll speak with CLIA's new President & CEO Bud Darr on his State of the Cruise Industry keynote address + lots more from all around the 40th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami Beach — stay tuned! 🛳️ #WeARECruise #STCGlobal

The cruise industry is making significant investments in sustainability, with 32 pilot projects and collaborative initiatives currently in progress. These efforts include partnerships with sustainable fuel producers and engine manufacturers to test innovative fuels and green technologies. 🛳️ #WeARECruise

👏 We were honored to have our President & CEO Bud Darr in attendance this weekend for the christening ceremony of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Aqua! Joining with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. President & CEO Harry Sommer and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association CEO Michelle Paige for the ceremony, we were thrilled to celebrate the arrival of our member’s newest ship. ▶️ The Norwegian Aqua is one of several new ocean-going CLIA member ships debuting this year, featuring a range of innovative technologies that are supporting greater sustainability at sea through emissions reductions, energy conservation, waste management, and a sea of sustainable practices. 🛳️ #WeARECruise

▶️ Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions – Maritime and Technology at Hamburg Messe, announced in coordination with CLIA President and CEO Bud Darr that CLIA will be partnering with Seatrade Europe, taking place 10–12 September 2025. ⭐ CLIA is also excited to announce the return of the Ports and Destinations Dialogue prior to Seatrade Europe in Hamburg, Germany, on 8–9 September 2025. Back by popular demand, this event will feature engaging plenary sessions and one-on-one appointments. Stay tuned—more details on both events coming soon! Also, look forward to CLIA’s partnership with SMM, scheduled 1-4 September 2026! 🛳️ #WeARECruise

🎬 That's a wrap on CLIA Currents Live at Seatrade Cruise Global 2025! Our final episode of this event features an exciting announcement with Claus Ulrich Selbach from Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, an industry update from all the way "down unda" with CLIA's Joel Katz, and some electrifying insights with Michelle Potorski...and the Battery Changer?...from Procell! 👏 Thank you for joining Mike Faust, Heather Wyatt, and Stephen Porter for our CLIA coverage of the 40th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global! We also want to extend a special thank you to all our CLIA and Novak Birch colleagues who have supported the production of CLIA Currents Live throughout the week — teamwork makes the dream work! So, until next time, this is CLIA Currents Live...keep on cruisin'! 🛳️ #WeARECruise

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis E. “Lou” Sola and CLIA President and CEO Bud Darr just concluded a one-on-one conversation that provided a thoughtful and insightful look into the cruise industry. Appointed Chairman by President Trump in January 2025, following his tenure as Commissioner since 2019, Chairman Lou Sola contributed a unique blend of personal perspective and extensive maritime expertise to the discussion. Chairman Sola noted that the federal government and the Federal Maritime Commission have learned valuable lessons from the COVID pandemic and are now better equipped to adapt in ways that support and strengthen the cruise industry. He also emphasized the cruise industry’s critical role in supporting economic growth, stressing the importance of job creation. The dialogue between Chairman Sola and Bud Darr provided a rare opportunity to hear two maritime leaders share their insights on the path ahead. Many thanks to Chairman Louis E. “Lou” Sola for generously sharing his insights and contributing meaningfully to this important conversation. 🛳️#WeARECruise #STCGlobal

🔢 Chris Mastrippolito, CLIA Director, Global Research, co-hosted 'CLIA & Oxford Economics In Partnership With Seatrade Cruise Research Update' with Christian Savelli, Director, Cruise Analytics, Tourism Economics at Oxford Economics Company. 🤝Together, they presented research that highlighted both industry challenges and positive trends, such as a well-managed, modestly growing order book and a balanced fleet size composition. Among the key findings Chris shared: 🛳️ 34.6 million ocean cruisers sailed in 2024. ↪️ About 70% of those that have never cruised told us they are open to taking that first cruise. The session concluded with a thoughtful and engaging Q&A discussion. This represents just a portion of the valuable insights Chris presented, if you missed the session and would like more information on the research done please visit: https://lnkd.in/ejnnUbfd

📺 CLIA Currents Live returns for another day at Seatrade Cruise Global, featuring an in-depth "State of the Cruise Industry" discussion with CLIA President & CEO Bud Darr + exciting updates on the cruise industry's 2024 passenger numbers from CLIA Director, Global Research Chris Mastrippolito! #WeARECruise #STCGlobal

⭐ We had a busy and productive day at Seatrade Cruise Global! The lively showroom floor and CLIA booth were hubs of collaboration and important discussion, especially with the edition of this year’s new Cruise Chats in front of the booth which included discussion with Jon Nation, Senior Director, Membership Development and Partner Relations, CLIA who led a discussion on the Executive Partner Program, and Nikos Mertzanidis, VP, Ports & Destinations & Taxation, CLIA led a talk on EU and Local Regulations. ▶️ Of course, kicking off the day was CLIA President and CEO Bud Darr’’s State of the Cruise Industry address and discussion with leaders from the industry. More information on that and details on what was discussed can be seen in our previous post. 🌱 Several key sessions were held throughout the day, and Nikos Mertzanidis was especially active—moderating the panel Advancing Sustainability in the Cruise Industry: Challenges, Solutions, and Collaborative Action, and later participating as a panelist in CLIA Presents: Issues Facing Growing Ports. Both sessions offered insightful perspectives and emphasized the power of collaboration in moving the industry forward. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week and to continuing the celebration of the 40th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global! 🛳️ #WeARECruise #STCGlobal

➡️This morning, CLIA President and CEO Bud Darr opened Seatrade Cruise Global with the State of the Cruise Industry address. His remarks highlighted the progress we’ve made as an industry and the shared goals that continue to guide our path forward. Bud emphasized that “together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts.” 🛳️ He also spoke candidly about the challenges we face—recognizing that while our industry is deeply valued by those in the room and by our guests onboard, there are still those who don’t fully understand the value of the industry. Cruise has a responsibility to better showcase the positive contributions we make around the world. 📈Bud underscored that our optimism is rooted not only in our collective passion, but in the clear commitments and confidence shown by the financial community. As we look to the future, he made clear that our growth must be intentional and responsible—because, as he said, “we need to do things the right way.” Bud Darr was then joined onstage by Anne Kalosh, Editor of Seatrade Cruise News, who moderated a panel discussion with: ⚓ Jason Liberty, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean Group ⚓ Harry J. Sommer, President & CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. ⚓ Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division at MSC Cruises ⚓ Josh Weinstein, President, CEO & Chief Climate Officer of Carnival Corporation The conversation spanned a range of key topics, including how shifts in the global economy could affect the cruise industry—along with the industry's resilience and strong outlook in the face of change. The panel also emphasized the importance of collaboration with local communities and highlighted the strategy of designing ships in various sizes to better meet guest expectations and help manage tourism flow. 🛳️#WeARECruise