Christine Duffy has been named president of Carnival Cruise Lines, succeeding Gerry Cahill, who retired at the end of November.

“We are excited about having Christine join the Carnival Corporation team. She has more than 30 years of experience in the travel industry and a tremendous understanding of the cruise business,” said Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation, in a prepared letter to travel agents.

“Christine began her career as a travel agent, so she knows the value that you deliver to our business each and every day,” Donald continued. “I look forward to the many accomplishments under Christine’s leadership, as she continues to build on the progress of the past year. Together, we will introduce even more guests to the joys of cruising and in turn, help to grow your business in the process.”

Duffy, currently president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), will assume the role on Feb. 1, reporting to Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.

“Christine is one of the most respected and dynamic leaders in the travel industry,” said Donald. “She brings a wealth of experience to Carnival Cruise Line that will help the cruise line continue to deliver unmatched vacation experiences to millions of guests each year.”

Duffy has more than 30 years of experience in the travel industry and started her career as a travel agent in Philadelphia at McGettigan Partners. As CEO of CLIA, the leading trade association of the cruise industry, she led many advancements including the globalization of cruise industry associations around the world to create a unified voice promoting cruising to key stakeholders from policy makers to consumers through CLIA’s more than 13,000 travel agency members representing over 50,000 travel agents.

In this role, Duffy successfully engaged member cruise lines and industry stakeholders to support CLIA’s expansion into new and emerging markets around the world. Before assuming her role with CLIA in 2010, she served as president and CEO of Maritz Travel, the largest corporate meeting, incentive and event companies in the world from 2004-2010.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to be part of a dynamic organization with a long history of innovation and industry firsts,” said Duffy. “The name Carnival is truly synonymous with cruising and I look forward to joining this talented team to continue the tradition of excellence that has made Carnival Cruise line one of the top cruise lines in the world.”

Duffy serves on various travel industry boards including U.S. Travel Association (USTA), the advisory board for Starwood Hotels, and the Board of Directors for Visit Florida.  In 2001, she founded Meeting Professionals International’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, which delivered research and programs to help women in the industry advance in their careers. She also is a member of The Committee of 200, an organization of the world’s most successful women business leaders that supports, celebrates and advances women’s leadership in business and works to ensure that women will continue to take on more significant and visible leadership roles.