Business Sectors
Business Sectors
Events
Contents
HamiltonJet LTX53: Greater control where offshore wind crews need it mostSponsored by HamiltonJet
CLIA CEO: a multi-fuel future, shore power and collaboration
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) president and chief executive Bud Darr addresses shore power challenges, collaboration and multi-fuel cruise ships in an interview with PST
Collaboration, shore power and getting the industry to net zero are among the main focuses for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) chief executive Bud Darr.
Mr Darr joined CLIA as president and chief executive in February 2025, marking a return, having previously held the post of senior vice president of technical and regulatory affairs from 2010 to 2017. Prior to his return to CLIA, Mr Darr served as executive vice president, maritime policy and government affairs at MSC Group for nearly eight years.
PST caught up with him at the annual Interferry conference, held in Sorrento, in October 2025, where Mr Darr gave a keynote speech.
“I’m thrilled to be back at CLIA,” he says. “Every day is better than the day before. It’s a great group of people. I took time and effort to go round the world and meet every one of our staff so I’m glad I did that; I’m more in touch with our people and connected to leaderships and local communities.”
He says having worked for a cruise line on his return means he has “extensively more knowledge and experience. It helps me to keep the broader picture in my mind and look at opportunities to work at a higher level with others in the maritime community”.
Some 12 years ago, CLIA grew rapidly through a consolidation of various entities to create greater efficiency and alignment across the cruise community, reflecting the direction and priorities of its member lines. This forms part of Mr Darr’s vision for the association. “I want to complete the transformation, so we look and feel and move as one organisation globally that shares resources among the areas we operate in around the world.”
Another focus for Mr Darr is collaborating with other sectors of the maritime community. Indeed, a clear example is his attendance and speech at Interferry’s conference. And straight after, he was flying to International Ports and Harbours Association’s (IAPH) conference in Kobe, Japan, to ink an MoU between the former and CLIA.
He expands, “I am focused on building higher levels of collaboration with other organisations, such as the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.” He also singles out CLIA’s recent 10-year agreement with Seatrade.
“Our MoU with IAPH is a co-operation to identify areas of mutual interest, of which they are many. I have an open mind as to how to work together. I have also stayed very close to the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, looking to better enhance what we bring to the table. I want to put serving the needs of our members front and centre and think about what we grow into.”
Turning to some of the challenges facing the industry, he speaks about shore power. Some 60% of CLIA’S members’ fleet (166 ships) have shoreside power, a number that is expected to grow to 273 ships by 2036. But by contrast, less than 3% of ports that cruise ships call at provide shore power, and they provide power for only one ship.
Mr Darr says, “The first and most obvious thing is that our members must ready themselves and have done the engineering so that when it becomes available, they have the equipment installed. We are helping to make sure the regulations are fit for purpose and are working with ports to determine which ones are the best candidates. On top of this, shore power needs to meet the technical standards that are well developed, be offered at a competitive price and come from a source that is environmentally sound. We are helping to bring these pieces together and make connections,” Mr Darr says, adding, “It is difficult to suggest 100% readiness on ships when there is 3% readiness in places we are going to call. And that 3% is the terminal being able to provide one berth for shore power. On the shipboard side there is a very high degree of confidence. On the shore side, if society and the political leadership think it is important, it will happen.”
But there is, he points out, a large challenge to overcome, the availability of grid density. “If smaller communities need the power, those ports are not going to have the extra grid density available. Some large ports sometimes have challenges here – it is not just about the equipment, it is having the electrons available while still serving the community.”
Addressing shipping’s energy transition in his Interferry keynote, Mr Darr says it boils down to three issues that must be solved. “Fuels, fuels and fuels.”
CLIA figures show a significant increase in the number of cruise ships coming in with multi-fuel engines. Whereas in 2018 there was a single vessel in CLIA’s membership with multi-fuel capability, in 2025, there are 25. And by 2036, CLIA expects to count more than 50 multi-fuel cruise ships among its members’ fleets.
Mr Darr then called for improved regulations, saying he is "optimistic IMO will have a fit-for-purpose practical set of regulations, but there are challenges".
Going into more detail in our interview, he says, “The largest propulsion [for cruise ships] is methane/LNG. There are seven ships [from CLIA members] that are being designed for methanol, and it is reasonable to anticipate there will be a mix of projects. It is possible to build a ship that can run on methanol and LNG. But it is difficult to have an engine be all things to all fuels, so it is important the engine OEMs have retrofit kits that allow for a smooth transition and optimises efficiency.”
Asked about hydrogen, he acknowledged its challenges, such as lack of density, but says it has a role to play as a supplemental fuel. “We see some activity in the cruise orderbook along those lines, but do I think it is a wide-scale fuel? Not really, but it has a role to play in the mix and hydrogen is a critically important feedstock of e forms of methane and for those that use ammonia, so hydrogen is not just a fuel itself, but a building block for the other e-versions of the fuels we will need.”
He adds, “The progression of the development of biomethane is much larger and faster than biomethanol. If you consider that all of shipping takes 4% of the world’s energy consumption, that is not big enough to drive energy markets on its own. We are talking about large-scale production of those molecules. Energy providers are waiting for demand signals from the rest of society which is behind where shipping is today – the industry is calling for regulations beyond what many governments are willing to put in place for the energy transition. Other sectors are not anywhere near that far along.”
Looking at LNG, he comments, “It provides an immediate benefit now and provides a gateway of adopting bio and synthetic versions with no additional modification to the ship. And ships don’t need a 100% e-solution, it can be blended in. It is very likely there will be the same sort of evolution of methanol, but it will be slower to develop.”
He sums up, “A mosaic of fuels to choose from is our future.”
Meanwhile, the future is bright for the cruise industry. Mr Darr says, “It’s an exciting time to be in the industry. We see managed growth and the industry has a very bright future.”
According to CLIA figures, 38M passengers are expected for 2025 and 42M by the end of 2028.
“I have a lot of optimism. I couldn’t be more excited,” he concludes.
CLIA president and chief executive Bud Darr
Charles ’Bud’ Darr is president and chief executive of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the global trade association that represents an expansive community of the ocean, river and specialty cruise lines; a highly trained and certified travel agent community; and a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers and business services.
As president and chief executive, Mr Darr is responsible for leading the organisation’s work as the leading authority and voice of the industry across the association’s five operating regions, including North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australasia and Brazil.
He became president and chief executive of CLIA in February 2025 – returning to CLIA having previously held the post of senior vice president of technical and regulatory affairs from 2010 to 2017. Prior to his return to CLIA, Mr Darr served as executive vice president, maritime policy and government affairs at MSC Group for more than seven years. During his career in maritime, he has also held positions within the US Coast Guard, including deputy chief of maritime and international law, and he has served in the US Navy, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard.
Mr Darr has extensive experience across the broader maritime community, including through his involvement with the International Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, UK Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners Council, SEA-LNG, Society for Gas as Marine Fuel, World Shipping Council, IMO World Maritime University, Cruise Safety and Sustainability Forum, and the Seamen’s Church Institute.
Sign up for Riviera’s series of technical and operational webinars and conferences:
- Register to attend by visiting our events page.
- Watch recordings from all of our webinars in the webinar library.
Related to this Story
New methanol, LNG and battery-powered vessels will reshape transport on China’s coastal and inland waterways
Events
Maritime Regulations Webinar Week
16 Dec 2025
GMT - ONLINE
Floating energy: successfully unlocking stranded gas using FLNGs and FSRUs
24 Feb 2026GMT - ONLINE
© 2026 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
