The Marine Hotel Association will explore becoming part of the Cruise Lines International Association under a memorandum of understanding recently signed by both groups.

MHA is a California-based organization representing the cruise line industry and companies that supply cruise lines. The association currently has 350 member companies. CLIA, by contrast, is the world's largest cruise lines industry association with 15 offices across the globe.

No details of the proposed merger were announced. The groups also did not provide a timeline for possibly finalizing the deal.

"MHA has proven themselves to be a key player within the cruise industry and I look forward to building this new relationship to offer greater value to our joint members," CLIA CEO Cindy D'Aoust said. "As both organization's mission, has evolved over the years, coming together to work as one is a natural fit." http://bit.ly/2ovp6dM

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