President Donald Trump has announced plans to rename two major landmarks—the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali—a move that could impact the cruise industry marketing.
In his inaugural remarks, Trump revealed his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” describing it as a step toward “reclaiming America’s rightful place” globally.
Renaming Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf is a vital waterway for several U.S. cruise homeports, including Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans, and Galveston, which collectively facilitate Western Caribbean itineraries to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras.
Cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Virgin and Norwegian heavily rely on these ports to deploy ships for some of their most popular routes.
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump said during his address.
The executive order would instruct the Secretary of the Interior to rename it “Gulf of America” for use on official maps and across the federal government.
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Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, confirmed the plans on X, noting that executive orders would be used to implement these changes.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico may face additional hurdles. A retired captain told Cruise Radio, “Renaming the Gulf could create confusion in international agreements and navigation, potentially disrupting operations.”
Changing Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley
Trump also plans to revert Mount Denali, North America’s tallest peak, to its previous name, “Mount McKinley,” in honor of former President William McKinley.
Denali is a significant destination for cruise passengers on land tours operated by Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, both of which maintain lodges near the mountain.
These lodges are marketed as bucket-list destinations of Alaska cruise packages, offering excursions like glacier trekking, National Park tours and wildlife viewing. The name change could also necessitate updates to promotional materials.
The proposal to rename Mount Denali has reignited talks surrounding former President Barack Obama’s 2015 decision to restore the mountain’s original name, Denali, which was used by Alaska’s Native Koyukon Athabascan people for centuries.
“You can’t improve upon the name that Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans bestowed on North America’s tallest peak, Denali—the Great One,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Sen. Dan Sullivan echoed this sentiment, mentioning the cultural impact of the name.
The Gulf of Mexico and Denali are both iconic in their own right, serving as key pillars of U.S. cruise industry.
Note to reader: At Cruise Radio, we report on all cruise-related news—whether it’s about new ships, policy changes, or broader issues that impact the industry, such as this recent executive order.
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We understand that not every story will resonate with everyone, but we believe in keeping you informed on all developments that could affect cruising, including marketing, itineraries, and materials impacted by this decision.
