The who’s who of the cruise industry came together to form a united front in Miami this week.
Some of the segment’s key players – including more than 40 executives with nine Presidents, CEOs and/or Chairmen from cruise companies – gathered with destination stakeholders at PortMiami to embark on the first live event since COVID-19 for Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) – the trade association that represents the mutual interests of destinations and stakeholders throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico, along with Member Lines that operate over 90% of the global cruising capacity.
Hosted and sponsored by PortMiami, the event gave 200 attendees with the FCCA Member Line executives, a day of workshops and networking opportunities to help prepare for the return of cruising to FCCA partner destinations.
“After 15 months, it was beyond exciting to again gather with our partners during this pivotal time to prepare how to make it out of this crisis, hopefully even better than ever,” said Michele Paige, President, FCCA. “We are grateful for PortMiami hosting the event and showcasing some of the protocols that will drive cruising’s return from North America.”
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“I can confidently say on behalf of all people and destinations the FCCA represents that we are ready to again get back to business,” said Micky Arison, Chairman, FCCA and Carnival Corporation & plc, who attended the event and participated at the functions, including the ‘View from the Top’ roundtable. “It has been a long, arduous time, but we now see the light at the end of the tunnel and know the importance of working together to make it to the other side even stronger.”
The FCCA-PortMiami Return to Sail Summit featured a schedule of workshops and networking opportunities, from an opening event complete with a meet and greet, to a joint lunch and other chances for attendees to talk privately with the participating cruise executives while observing safety protocols including a mask mandate and physical distancing.
During the workshops, the cruise executives took centre stage to discuss key issues to help the attendees prepare with the latest information about the industry’s return to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico.
