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Monday,  November 11, 2024   9:10 PM
CLIA President & CEO Kelly Craighead named godmother of Emerald Sakara
Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), has been named godmother of luxury yacht Emerald Sakara. (Supplied)

Emerald Cruises has announced Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as godmother of Emerald Sakara, the line’s second ocean-going luxury yacht, due to launch in August. 

The naming ceremony will take place on Dec. 2, 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“Kelly portrays perfectly what we find special about Emerald Sakara, whose translated name means ‘thoughts become things,’ a meaning that represents both how we designed and built Emerald Sakara, and how we view Kelly’s leadership and contributions to the cruise industry as she guided us through some of our most challenging times, only to emerge stronger than ever,” said Jo-Lee Shantz, Emerald Cruises’ director of marketing ocean cruises, Canada. “Kelly’s unwavering commitment to our valued travel advisors and to responsible tourism at sea and in destinations around the globe aligns with Emerald Cruises’ passion for growth and success. As our fleet continues to expand with our newest luxury Ocean Yacht designed to respectfully explore the world’s most unique destinations, we find it only befitting that Kelly, and through her, the CLIA team, be recognized and honored by Emerald Cruises as the Godmother of Emerald Sakara.”

20+ years of leadership 

Craighead represents a network of more than 75,000 CLIA travel trade members and stakeholders globally across the industry. 

With more than 20 years of executive leadership in the private and public sectors, she served as the U.S government’s senior representative for travel and tourism, and the first-ever deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

She joined CLIA in 2019, bringing a deep knowledge of public policy and how governments around the world work.

During the pandemic, Craighead and the CLIA team worked to help ensure the long-term viability of cruising and the ability to safely return to operations in line with other travel sectors. 

Emerald Sakara, Emerald's second ocean-going luxury yacht, is due to launch this August.  (Emerald)

Craighead also serves as vice chair and executive director of the Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation, a non-profit public charity devoted to improving the quality of life in communities served by the cruise industry. 

In a statement, Craighead said she was "honoured" to have been chosen as godmother. 

“The name Sakara reflects my deep personal belief that positive thoughts manifest reality, and the strong rebound of cruise from the past few years – along with our commitment to a future of sustainable cruising – demonstrates the optimism that drives this industry forward every day," she said. 

"Additionally, Emerald Cruises’ Cherish the Planet ethos, built in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, aligns with CLIA’s work around environmentally responsible tourism and protecting the destinations we visit.”

This August, the 100-guest Emerald Sakara is set to join sister-yacht Emerald Azzurra sailing the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, as well as the Caribbean. 


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