After 20 years of service, Carnival Cruise Lines’ president and CEO, Gerry Cahill, today announced that he will be retiring effective Nov. 20.
During his time with Carnival, Cahill and his team launched four new ships and introduced a new class of ships—the Dream class, which included the Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Breeze. He also oversaw the delivery of new cruising features such as the innovative Fun Ship 2.0 ship enhancements, the Carnival LIVE concert series, a first in the cruise industry, as well as Carnival Seuss at Sea program. He also helped grow the cruise line to 24 ships, the largest in the company’s fleet, since he started as CEO in 2007.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead Carnival Cruise Lines for the past seven years and to work for this great company for 20 years,” says Cahill. “Deciding when to retire is not easy, especially when you love what you do. I feel the time is good for me personally and the company and brand are in a good place. Our employees are the finest, most dedicated people I know, and the thing I will miss most in my retirement is the opportunity to come to the office each day and work with such talented individuals.”
“I can’t thank Gerry enough for his tireless efforts both as CFO of Carnival Corporation and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation and plc. “While we would always feel his retiring is premature, we understand and support his decision. His leadership and passion, along with his honest and frank views will be missed, and we will always have a deep appreciation for Gerry’s tremendous contributions to Carnival Corporation.”
A replacement has not yet been named, but Cahill will stay on as an advisor to the leadership team throughout the transition period.
