CLIA Appoints Goldstein as Global Chair
Adam M. Goldstein, Vice Chairman, Royal Caribbean Cruises, has been appointed Global Chair of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) effective January 1, 2019. Goldstein succeeds Arnold Donald, President and CEO, Carnival Corporation & plc. who served as CLIA Global Chairman since January 2017.
Goldstein is a 30-year veteran of Royal Caribbean Cruises, and he took up position as Vice Chairman in May 2018. He has served as RCL’s president and chief operating officer since 2014. He also served as the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International prior to Michael Bayley.
“I’m honored to take on this role for the second time and look forward to building on the great work that Arnold has accomplished during his time as Chair,” said Goldstein. “As the cruise industry continues to grow globally, it’s exceptionally important that we work together to ensure a positive experience for our guests and for the destinations we visit. I’m excited to collaborate with all of our constituencies to pursue this vision.”
Environmental performance will be a focus area during his tenure. The CLIA announced in December that its members had committed to reduce the rate of carbon emissions across the industry fleet by 40 percent by 2030. Progress toward the 40 percent target will be measured against a 2008 fleet baseline, and emissions rates will be calculated based on the industry fleet’s total carbon emissions, total ship berths and total distance traveled. CLIA plans to report annually on the industry’s progress toward the commitment. The reduction will be fueled by innovative technologies for energy efficiency in ship design and propulsion.
Goldstein previously served as CLIA Global Chair in 2015 and 2016 and has remained on the CLIA Global Executive Committee for the past two years. He also recently served as the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Chairman, CLIA’s sister association. As of January 1, Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc, took up the position of Chairman of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. Arison will also lead the Association's Executive Committee, consisting of company leaders from the association's member lines.
Kelly Craighead took up position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the CLIA on January 1, 2019. Among her top priorities will be to continue to share the value and excitement of cruise travel. According to the CLIA, the cruise industry is projected to continue to grow throughout 2019 with an estimated 30 million travelers expected to cruise, up six percent from 28.2 million in 2018. In the coming year 18 new ships are on order from CLIA cruise lines, and 272 CLIA-member cruise ships are projected to be in operation by June 2019. The cruise industry continues to make a positive impact on communities around the globe by sustaining 1,108,676 jobs equaling $45.6 billion in wages and salaries and $134 billion total output worldwide in 2017, says the CLIA.