On June 22, a veritable who's who of cruise executives joined together with destination partners for the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's (FCCA) Return to Sail Summit, its first live meeting since the onset of the pandemic.
The daylong event, which was hosted by PortMiami, drew 200 attendees for workshops and networking opportunities to strategize on the resumption of cruising to FCCA partner destinations, which include the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico.
"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 FCCA President Michele Paige.
"We are grateful for PortMiami hosting the event and showcasing some of the protocols that will drive cruising's return from North America."
The event also included "A View From the Top" session with a panel of cruise line presidents and CEOs, as well as FCCA and Carnival Corporation & plc and Chairman Micky Arison.
During the session, the executives discussed "when and how their brands and companies will return to the region - and how the industry's reset has led to opportunities including more homeporting, multi-port itineraries in destinations and longer stays through the joint work with governments and stakeholders," the FCCA said.
In addition to Arison, the panel included Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin, Regent Seven Seas President and CEO Jason Montague, MSC Cruises USA President Ruben Rodriguez, Norwegian Cruise Line President Harry Sommer and Holland America Group President Jan Swartz.
"I can confidently say on behalf of all people and destinations the FCCA represents that we are ready to again get back to business," Arison said.
"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."
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