Carnival Corporation has earned a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) – for the fifth consecutive year.
It means the cruise giant is again designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality in the US.
Carnival has been recognised a total of eight times in the annual HRC Foundation CEI report, a benchmarking survey of corporate LGBTQ policies and practices.
HRC Foundation is the educational arm of the largest civil rights organisation in the US and is working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, said: “As a company with employees from nearly 150 countries, we fully embrace the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and we are committed to promoting a positive and empowering corporate culture for all of our shipboard and shoreside employees.
“We believe that proactively building a diverse and inclusive workforce is not only the right way to operate, but it is also a business imperative that provides a competitive advantage.
“Our commitment to diversity of thinking across the organisation fosters new perspectives and approaches to reaching our goals and drives continuous innovation.”
Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said: “From the previously unimaginable impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year.
“Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritise and champion LGBTQ equality.”
Carnival’s portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises and Cunard.
More: LGBTQ+ travel bosses recognised as ‘trailblazers’
Special Report: International LGBTQ+ Travel Association convention