2016 Seatrade Cruise Global

Charles Robertson
American Cruise Lines
International Registries, Inc.


Charles Robertson is founder, chairman and CEO of American Cruise Lines, Inc., Pearl Sea Cruises, Chesapeake Shipbuilding, and affiliated companies. His firms have designed and built 14 cruise ships and approximately 70 other commercial vessels, up to 350 feet. Engaged in the maritime industry since 1973, Robertson pioneered the small ship luxury cruise industry in the United States with his founding of American Cruise Lines, now the largest cruise company in the country. He is also a recognized expert on cruise ship regulation. He holds a USCG Master’s License and First Class Pilot’s License for unlimited tonnage and has been an expert witness for the United States Coast Guard before the NTSB and Congressional Committees. An active commercial pilot, Robertson regularly flies ex-military aircraft and participates in shows and demonstrations across the country. An avid racing sailor, he has won many national and international events, including the Newport Bermuda Race, Queen’s Cup, and the National Championship in the Atlantic Class. He and his wife, Carol, reside in Talbot County, Maryland, and Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Their three sons, Charles, Clark, and Carter, are involved in the family business interests. Robertson serves on a number of non-profit boards including Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels, MD.

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