Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Our success depends, in large part, on the skills and contributions of our team members, and on our ability to recruit, develop and retain high quality, diverse team members. A team of highly motivated and engaged team members is key to providing extraordinary cruise vacations tailored to each brand's unique guest base.
We strive to make Carnival Corporation & plc a diverse, inclusive and safe workplace.
At Carnival Corporation & plc, we are committed to a culture of diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) for our shoreside and shipboard team members, as well as our guests. The company brings together many cultures, backgrounds, beliefs and points of view, and every person shall be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. Our diverse team helps create a warm and welcoming guest experience for all who sail with us. We are a daily reminder of how travel and tourism help break down barriers, build friendships, and promote a greater understanding among people.
We are a better and more successful company when the diversity of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, culture, beliefs and other backgrounds are celebrated. Carnival's DEI strategy aligns with our Purpose & Mission, Vision and Culture Essentials. To further advance DEI progress and conversations within the business community, in 2023 our CEO signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge.
The pledge is the largest CEO- driven business initiative to advance DEI in the workplace. CEOs pledge to create more inclusive cultures while not being afraid of having difficult conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, to support the LGBT community, we are members of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association whose mission is to provide information and resources for LGBTQ+ travelers and expand tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact.
To further support inclusion practices and behaviors, we have a series of training programs. For example, to address the needs of people with disabilities, we conduct Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Leadership Training, ADA People First Awareness, DEI & CARE Leader Guide, KultureCity Sensory inclusive and ADA front line training.
To support the advancement of women within our organization we have launched several shipboard and shoreside initiatives. Whenever possible, we strive to place our women junior officers and cadets in pairs and ensure that they have an appropriate mentor during their contract. In 2023, the Women Officer Network was established to bring women maritime officers onboard our ships together to create a community. In 2021, the employee resource group Women Warriors was created for women in the organization. The mission of the group is to create a safe space for women to discuss challenges, feel inspired, have courageous conversations, and learn from each other while building a network to explore opportunities. Women Warriors includes members from both shoreside and shipboard. Membership has grown from 21 to 375 participants from all our brands. We also have region-specific programs. In the UK, for example, we have several employee-led networks which focus on different needs. The MPower network that addresses Disabilities and Health Conditions, the Race, Ethnicity & Cultural Heritage Network, and the LGBTQ+ network Spectrum. All networks host events and share resources and communications to raise awareness, educate and bring together perspectives from different communities and their allies.
Women Officer Network
We continue to focus on ensuring and expanding diversity, equity and inclusion across all ranks and departments. We are invested in increasing female representation by supporting programs tailored to our existing female officers and women seeking a career at sea where they can grow and excel.
In 2023, we launched the company-wide Women Officer Network (W.O.N.) to connect women maritime officers across our fleet and create a community that drives dialogue and supports their professional and personal development. The network strives to provide a platform, connections, and resources for women to network, share their experiences and knowledge, as well as to identify opportunities to better thrive within the industry and organization.
Since its launch on International Women's Day, the network has already become a pivotal platform of engagement for women officers - including deck, technical, environmental officers, and cadets - across our fleet. It hosted multiple events, such as coaching sessions on unconscious biases and forums on how we can encourage more women to join maritime roles onboard our ships. Additionally, the network has increased visibility across our brands for women to know of and connect with women in similar positions across the fleets. Women can more readily seek advice from others on how to navigate their career growth or how to balance growing their family while building a career at sea.
Louise Sara, Fleet Captain and Director of Maritime Standards at Carnival Corporation & plc, is the woman behind this initiative. Louise created the Women Officer Network at Carnival to inspire young women and connect current officers, through role modelling and mentoring so they can visualize their full potential and seek growth opportunities in their careers.
Louise’s father worked at sea until she was born, and she grew up hearing his stories about working on ships. She was nine years old when they visited a ferry in Southampton, England, and met a woman deck officer who navigated the ship.
Inspired, Louise decided that she too wanted to pursue a career at sea; seeing a woman in this position allowed her to envision herself in that role. This pivotal moment not only fueled her career but also the numerous initiatives that she still supports. Louise created the Women Officer Network at Carnival to inspire young women and connect current officers, through role modelling and mentoring so they can visualize their full potential and seek growth opportunities in their careers.
Louise started her career as deck officer in 2000 and moved through the ranks holding various shipboard positions such as senior chief officer and senior master with various maritime companies. She is currently part of our shoreside Maritime Standards team, where she works with fleet captains and chiefs and other corporation stakeholders, manages and coaches the fleet support officers, and leads mentoring efforts and projects.
As the network’s vision evolves, we continue to strengthen and inspire women identifying and non-binary officers by creating a formal mentoring program, more opportunities for members to build connections in-person and across brands and partnering with external women’s organizations in the maritime industry to integrate further resources. Through the network we will strive to better understand and identify opportunities to eliminate hurdles for women identifying and non- binary officers working and seeking careers within the maritime industry. At Carnival, this initiative will further support our goal of attracting and retaining top talent within the maritime industry.
Louise Sara
Fleet Captain and Director of Maritime Standards- Appointed Master in December 2013 and was the first woman to serve as Master for P&O ferries and on the English Cross Channel Routes, also the first female Senior Master appointed in December 2017.
- Over 21 years of experience at sea serving as Fleet Manager - Safety, Master Mariner, Senior Master, Master, Senior Chief Officer, and Senior 2nd Officer, Louise Started her career in 2000 as a deck cadet with P&O Cruises.
- Over 7 years of command experience, 2 years as Senior Master
- In 2020 she founded the working group at the UK Chamber of Shipping for Vehicle Deck Safety and lead a collaboration with other industry stakeholders to produce the 10 Golden Rules of Vehicle Deck Safety.
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At Carnival Corporation & plc, our purpose is to deliver unforgettable happiness to our guests by providing extraordinary cruise vacations, while honoring the integrity of every ocean we sail, place we visit and life we touch.