Philip Levine was officially sworn in as the new Mayor of Miami Beach on Monday, Nov. 25.

Levine is also president and CEO of Royal Media Partners, a joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises for its three North American brands to drive onboard revenue.

Levine first joined the cruise industry as a port lecturer in 1980 and did so well that he founded Onboard Media and became a concessionaire to cruise lines, offering port shopping services, onboard stores, art auctions and more. As majority shareholder he later sold the company for a reported several hundred million dollars.

Not sitting still, he went on to found Baron Corporation and diversified into real estate and other ventures, but kept his interest in cruise.

Levine also serves on the U.S. Travel Advisory Board and has been a frequent cruise expert guest on national television. He also counts political heavy-weights among his friends, including President Bill Clinton.

In a prepared statement, Levine said: “The opportunity to serve as Mayor of Miami Beach is an amazing and humbling honor, and I will do everything I can to make ours the best city in America.”

To his voters: “Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this victory, which we have achieved together.”

And to Cruise Industry News: “(I) may be one of our first cruise industry folks elected to office.”