Defining Excellence in the Global Cruise Industry
The FIU Cruise Excellence Center at Florida International University in Miami, Florida is founded on the principle that the future of the cruise industry will benefit from stronger connections among industry leaders, academic researchers, educators and students.
FIU brings together the academic disciplines needed to understand the full complexity of the industry. Miami provides direct access to the companies, leaders, ports, destinations and organizations that make this city the center of global cruising.
The FIU Cruise Excellence Center brings these resources together with a clear purpose: to advance knowledge, develop talent, strengthen collaboration and define the future of the global cruise industry.
Why FIU
Miami is the cruise capital of the world, and FIU is Miami’s public research institution.
That connection gives the FIU Cruise Excellence Center a distinctive position at the heart of the industry it serves.
The center connects FIU students, faculty and researchers with the cruise industry and provides industry leaders with access to the university’s varied resources and expertise.
For the cruise industry, the center offers a long-term academic partner focused on research, talent development, education and innovation.
For FIU, it creates opportunities for faculty research, student learning, industry engagement and collaboration across the university.
For students, it provides access to one of the world’s fastest growing, most international industries and the opportunity to learn from professionals working at the highest levels in their field.
For faculty and researchers, it creates opportunities to apply expertise from across the university to important questions facing the future of the cruise industry.
One University. Every Discipline.
The cruise industry spans virtually every area of business, technology, policy, infrastructure and human experience. Addressing its opportunities and challenges requires expertise from across the university.
The FIU Cruise Excellence Center draws on FIU’s schools, colleges, faculty, researchers and students to bring that expertise together around a common purpose.
Areas of Expertise
- Research, innovation and technology
- Sustainability, energy and the environment
- Business, economics and finance
- Engineering and maritime systems
- Hospitality and tourism management
- Law, regulation and public policy
- Logistics, transportation and ports
- Communications, media and the arts
- Public health
- Weather, resilience and catastrophe risk
This interdisciplinary approach allows FIU to examine the cruise industry from every perspective, including ship and port operations, destinations, technology, finance, public health, environmental responsibility, risk, regulation and the guest experience.
The center’s strength comes from bringing these areas of expertise together and applying them to the priorities of the global cruise industry.
Strategic Pillars
Research
& Excellence
FIU is ranked among the top 50 public universities in the nation and No. 1 in economic and social mobility by U.S. News & World Report. The new FIU Cruise Excellence Center is committed to supporting research essential to the cruise industry.
World-Class Training
& Education
FIU’s 12 colleges and dozens of academic units consistently graduate top alumni to lead the cruise industry. The Cruise Executive Advisory Board will offer their expertise to further advance our curriculum to the current needs of the industry.
Industry Partnerships
& Collaboration
FIU recognizes the importance of real-world experiential learning, which is why the FIU Cruise Excellence Center is a hub for industry partnerships and collaboration. From hospitality to engineering, communications, and the arts, FIU is a pipeline for cruise management talent.
Cruise Executive Advisory Board
The FIU Cruise Excellence Center is guided by an Executive Advisory Board composed of senior executives from across the cruise industry and its related sectors. The board includes leaders from major cruise companies as well as travel distribution, destinations, hospitality and maritime services. Collectively, the cruise companies represented on the board account for approximately 85% of global oceangoing cruise capacity, measured by lower berths.
The board provides the center with a broad understanding of the industry, including cruise operations, travel distribution, destinations, hospitality and maritime services. Its members represent contemporary, premium, luxury, and expedition cruising, travel advisor distribution, destination development, hospitality operations and other areas of the industry.
Larry Pimentel
Board Chair & Distinguished Cruise Executive-in-Residence
Thatcher Brown
Board Vice Chair
Michael Bayley
President & CEO, Royal Caribbean International
David Bernstein
Chief Financial Officer, Carnival Corporation
Samuel Chamberlain
CEO, Americas, Ponant Explorations
Marc Kazlauskas
President, Norwegian Cruise Line
Robin Lindsay
Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Maritime Services
Michele M. Paige
Chief Executive Officer, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association
Neil Palomba
EVP of Operations, MSC Cruises USA
Christopher Prelog
President, Windstar Cruises
Matthew Upchurch
Chairman & CEO, Virtuoso
Jonathan L. Wilson
President & CEO, Aman at Sea
Tracy Wilson
Senior Vice President & General Manager, Disney Cruise Line
Research at a Glance
Boasting top national performance in scholarly productivity, we're redefining what it means to be a Preeminent State Research University. FIU ranks in the top 3% of the nation's 4,300 colleges and universities in research production and holds the elite Carnegie Research Designation of R1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production.
- $305MFY 2023-24 research expenditures
- $1.4BResearch expenditures in the last 5 years
- Top 30Public university in U.S. utility patents granted
Publications
Perceptions of cruise travel during the COVID-19 pandemic: Market recovery strategies for cruise businesses in North America
The study aims to identify consumer perceptions of the cruise industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to provide market recovery strategies for cruise businesses.
Alignment: Passenger demand, first-time customer acquisition and demand resilience.
Sustainability in Cruise Tourism: Balancing Growth, Oceans and Responsibility
Written by leading industry experts, this book reveals environmental, social, cultural and regulatory challenges shaping the future of cruising, and the creative solutions to address them.
Alignment: Cruise sustainability, food waste, workforce ethics and destination impacts.
Consumer perceptions of cruise line sustainability
Based on Fishbein and Aijzen’s theory, this study fills an important literature gap by examining attitudes and perceptions of cruise line consumers on online cruise forums.
Alignment: Norwegian and broader passenger demand—cruise selection, price, itinerary, cuisine and sustainability perceptions.
In the News
FIU’s location in Miami, the cruise capital of the world, puts the spotlight on our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and our connection with the industry.
Ultimate insider view: Students sit down with cruise industry CEOs
May 14, 2026
Students got a firsthand look at unexpected careers in the cruise industry
May 8, 2026
Cruising into the future: Luxury travel leader to spearhead cruise industry programming
Nov 10, 2025
From wanderlust to reality for hospitality students on study abroad trip
Apr 28, 2023
Bon voyage: the return of Hospitality at Sea sets sail
Dec 20, 2022
Student’s superyacht design mixes sub-Saharan African cultural design with urban art
Jun 25, 2021
Further Reading
Table of Experts: Cruise lines sailing affluent travelers to new destinations
Assessing the Royal Caribbean-Sandals joint venture
Where Does $1,000 of Cruise Revenue Go?
Four Seasons Sets Sail, Private Butlers and All
How much do cruise ship crew make? Here's the range, and why it varies
FIU Expands Cruise Line Operations Programs with Larry Pimentel’s Appointment
FIU Chaplin power leaders round table focuses on luxury cruising
FIU Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
FIU has 12 colleges and dozens of academic units that cover a range of subjects directly tied to the cruise industry. Students engage with relevant topics, ranging from the hospitality, business, and design aspects of cruises to maritime science and logistics, that prepare them for established roles within the world of cruises.
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Hospitality & Tourism Management
- BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management
- BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management: Hospitality Leadership
- BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management: Travel & Tourism
- MS in Hospitality Management (Non-Thesis)
Cruise Management
- BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management: Cruise Line Management
- MS in Hospitality Management: Specialization in Cruise Line Operations
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
College of Engineering and Computing
College of Business
Logistics & Supply Management
Finance
International Business
- BBA in International Business
- Certificate in International Trade and Investment
- Master of International Business
Human Resources
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
Communications
Design
Entertainment
Support the Center
As a partner of the FIU Cruise Excellence Center, you play an important role in shaping the future of the cruise industry and preparing the next generation of industry leaders. Your investment supports a dynamic partnership between industry and academia, advancing research, student development, faculty expertise and innovative programs that address the opportunities and challenges shaping the global cruise sector.
Together, we can create meaningful opportunities for students, generate knowledge that advances the field and develop solutions that help shape the future of cruising.
Your support of the FIU Cruise Excellence Center is an investment in the people, ideas and partnerships that will drive the cruise industry forward.