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Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) announced that Daniel S. Farkas, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH), has been appointed as the incoming FCCA Operations Committee Chair.
“I am honored by the appointment as FCCA Operations Committee Chair and excited to continue building upon the successes the group has achieved,” said Farkas.
“We will focus on strengthening our relationships with destinations, ports and FCCA members, along with representing the industry to achieve mutual success. During my tenure additional concentration will be placed on further developing and enhancing the guest experience at the destinations while expanding opportunities for stakeholders and citizens.”
Farkas was unanimously approved by the Operations Committee as NCLH’s nomination for the position that rotates every two years to ensure all FCCA Member Lines have representation. He replaces Russell Benford, Vice President, Government Relations, Americas, Royal Caribbean Group, who will continue to serve on the Committee.
“Serving as FCCA Operations Committee Chair over the last two years has further proven the significance of partnership and collaboration, with that foundation through the platform of FCCA and the Operations Committee being crucial to rebounding from an unprecedented event like COVID-19,” said Benford. “I look forward to continuing these efforts while still being part of the Committee, and I am confident that Mr. Farkas will navigate us in the right direction.”
As Operations Committee Chair, Farkas will lead efforts including monthly meetings open to the entire group and FCCA partners; often scheduled online and in-person meetings with destinations and stakeholders; site visits, including Town Hall Meetings, evaluations of products and education of private and public sectors; and meetings and workshops at FCCA events such as the PAMAC Summit, taking pace in the Cayman Islands from June 20-23, 2023; the FCCA Platinum Cruise Summit aboard Holland America Line’s Eurodom from February 15-18, 2023; and the 29th annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show, taking place in Mazatlán, Mexico from November 6-10, 2023.
In all, he will advance the Committee’s core principles: discussing cruise industry topics, such as tourism development, ports, safety and security; fostering an understanding of the industry and its practices; building bilateral relationships with FCCA’s partner destinations’ private and public sectors; fostering increased revenue opportunities for ports and destinations; and enhancing the destination experience and amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors.
“I am humbled by the continued commitment of FCCA Member Line executives,” said Michele Paige, CEO of FCCA. “Our overall goal has always been to strengthen mutual understanding and success, and the involvement of so many cruise executives like Russell Benford and Daniel Farkas is not only pivotal for that, but also demonstrates the importance of our initiatives to the industry.”
In his position at NCLH, Farkas oversees all aspects of the Legal, Risk Management, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Passenger and Crew Claims Government Affairs, Construction, Port Operations and Port Development areas. Farkas is also the Company’s Corporate Ethics Officer and currently serves on the board of directors of the Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation and the Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association Limited as well as various other committees within the Norwegian Group.
Prior to joining Norwegian, Farkas served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County under both Janet Reno and Katherine Fernandez Rundle and was a Partner as a boutique law firm specializing in maritime litigation. Farkas joined Norwegian in January 2004 and previously held the positions of Senior Vice President, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel.
Farkas holds a Bachelor of Art degree Cum Laude, with honors in English and American Literature from Brandeis University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami.
