Miami – October 02, 2026 -- Florida International University has launched the FIU Cruise Excellence Center, a new academic hub led by its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management to tackle research, talent and innovation gaps across the global cruise sector.
Cruise executives form founding advisory board to steer university research priorities
The Center's launch coincides with the inaugural meeting of its Cruise Executive Advisory Board, a founding group composed of presidents, CEOs, a CFO and other senior executives drawn from cruise lines, travel distribution, destinations and maritime services. The board will help FIU set research priorities, strengthen curricula, expand internships and experiential learning, and build executive education and micro-credential programs tied directly to industry needs.
University already runs cruise-specific degree tracks ahead of new research push
FIU has an existing academic base in cruise education, including an undergraduate Cruise Line Management track and a Master of Science in Hospitality Management with a specialization in Cruise Line Operations. The Center aims to build on that foundation with independent, academically grounded research covering workforce development, consumer demand shifts, AI and emerging technologies, environmental responsibility, crew well-being, destination strategy, operating performance, logistics, ports and the economic and geopolitical forces shaping global cruising.
FIU president calls Miami partnership historic for region's cruise economy
"The launch of the FIU Cruise Excellence Center signifies an historic partnership right here in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World, and offers FIU an opportunity to engage with an industry that has enormous importance to our region and to the global economy,