Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, brought together government officials, tourism and port authorities, community partners and students during a series of summer ship visits aboard Carnival Horizon in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The visits provided an opportunity for Carnival representatives and local stakeholders to connect aboard the ship, learn more about its operations and discuss opportunities to support tourism and the communities that welcome Carnival ships.
Led by Sarah Beth Reno, chief operating officer of Carnival Cruise Line, and Marie McKenzie, senior vice president of government and destination affairs for Carnival Corporation, the visits took place in Aruba on Aug. 18, Bonaire on Aug. 5 and 19, and Curaçao on Aug. 20.
Carnival Horizon’s leadership team, including Capt. Rocco Lubrano, Chief Engineer Dinko Biskupovic, Hotel Director Steve Scandale, HR Director Claire Woodhouse and members of the broader shipboard team, participated in the visits and welcomed each delegation.
The program also included educational ship visits for students across all three islands, providing an opportunity to learn about cruise ship operations and explore career opportunities in the cruise and hospitality industries.
In Curaçao, Carnival welcomed hospitality students from the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre. The visit gave students an opportunity to see cruise operations firsthand and connect their classroom studies with the industry.
Advancing Local Education Initiatives
As part of the visits, Carnival partnered with local tourism and port authorities to advance community and education initiatives.
In Aruba and Bonaire, Carnival Corporation supported local tourism and port partners on the Buki di Pret program, working with the Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba Ports Authority and Tourism Corporation Bonaire.
In Curaçao, the engagement focused on hospitality education through its partnership with the Curaçao Tourist Board and Curaçao Ports Authority and its visit with students from the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre.
“We value the relationships we have built with our partners across Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, and these visits provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and collaboration,” said Reno. “We also want to ensure that our engagement extends beyond the guest experience by supporting education and creating opportunities for students to learn more about the cruise industry.”
Connecting with Destination Leaders
The ship visits brought together senior representatives from government, tourism, port authorities and the private sector in each destination.
In Aruba, participants included Wendrick Cicilia, minister of tourism, transport and labor; Ronella Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority; and Marc Figaroa, CEO of Aruba Ports Authority, along with other government and tourism representatives.
In Bonaire, participants included Elesiër Angel, CEO of Tourism Corporation Bonaire; Veroesjka de Windt, CEO of BONHATA; Gunther Flanegin, harbor master of Bonaire; and representatives from the tourism sector.
In Curaçao, participants included Zulaika Mook, senior director of economic development and innovation at the Ministry of Economic Development; Humberto de Castro, CEO of Curaçao Ports Authority; and Muryad de Bruin, managing director of the Curaçao Tourist Board, along with representatives from the Curaçao Ports Authority, Curaçao Tourist Board and Maduro Shipping.
“Strong destination partnerships are an important part of the cruise experience, and these visits allow us to engage directly with the people and organizations that help make each destination successful,” said McKenzie. “By bringing students aboard and supporting local education initiatives, we can help introduce the next generation to the many career opportunities available across the cruise and tourism industries.”
Through its ongoing engagement with destinations throughout the Caribbean, Carnival works with local stakeholders to support tourism, education and economic opportunities in the communities its ships visit.
