05/09/2026
Repost from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arriving in the United States at six years old with his family and a suitcase, Frank Del Rio would one day help shape Miami into the cruise capital of the world
Like so many Cuban exiles, Frank’s story began with sacrifice, uncertainty, and the courage to start a new business in his adopted new country.
Long before leading one of the most influential cruise companies in the world, he was building a vision from the dining room table of his home. Relentless drive, instinct, and the willingness to outwork the odds.
Frank went on to become a true pioneer of the modern cruise industry.
He founded Oceania Cruises in 2002, creating an entirely new space in upscale cruising. He later acquired Regent Seven Seas Cruises and eventually became President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, overseeing Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, one of the largest and most influential cruise portfolios in the world.
His impact on Miami reaches far beyond business headlines.
With Miami serving as the cruise capital of the world and a primary global port, the industry generates billions in economic activity and supports countless jobs tied to tourism, hospitality, transportation, and trade.
Frank helped shape that ecosystem.
He helped build companies that brought global tourism through Miami, created thousands of jobs, and contributed to the city’s rise as the epicenter of the cruise industry. And at the center of it all was the vision of a Cuban exile who once started with nothing more than a dining room table and an idea.
One of the most symbolic moments of his journey came decades later when in 2017, he helmed one of his Oceania Cruises ships into the Port of Havana. A Cuban exile returning to the island by sea, not as the child who left, but as a man who helped shape a global industry.
History has a way of coming full circle.
His story is not simply about success.
It is about vision, reinvention, and the extraordinary milestones exiles can achieve when resilience meets opportunity.
Miami is filled with stories like this.
EXILIO exists to preserve them.
