Labadee

Guest Post- An Interesting Week in Ops and a Sneak Peek!

Lisa BauerIt’s been a very interesting week.  I just returned from an Anchored in Excellence (AIE) visit to Monarch of the Seas.  We joined the ship in Nassau and sailed back to Port Canaveral.  I have to say that I was truly impressed with the teamwork and spirit onboard.   I was also very happy to see the strong focus on crew satisfaction.  The Monarch Executive Committee has been putting a lot of focus on revitalizing the crew areas, including an updated gym, new food stations and the crew outdoor deck areas.   I had forgotten that we had used Monarch to test the Izumi concept for Oasis.  We had a dinner with the executive committee at Izumi and all cooked our own dinners with the hot rocks.  It was a good reminder of how we always test concepts in the fleet before rolling them out to a new build or to the rest of the fleet.  The Jade area on Monarch was also great and in addition to the hot rocks,  guests can also get Sushi, or Chop’s Grille salads, shrimp cocktail and steak.  I have to say that it really shows the power of the guest service and value of the crew when I look at how Monarch is performing on our balanced scorecard.  She is the number two ship in the fleet and her ratings are consistently improving and above target.  I told the crew that if all you had to do was be the newest ship to be on top of the scorecard it was one thing, but to have a 19-year-old ship in the second position, and closing in on the number one spot, was clearly a sign of the focus on guests and “Delivering the Wow” at every opportunity.  (In case you were wondering, Legend of the Seas is currently number one in the fleet)

One of our guests certainly had the Wow delivered to her on Oasis this week.  She was playing the slots and put in three coins for the max bet and won $125,000!  This happened on the first night of the cruise.  The ship was all a buzz about her big jackpot.  (I went to Gulfstream to try my luck after reading about her luck, but only won $32.00 playing Fireball, my new favorite slot machine).

Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas Casino

This week, we also saw the first preview of the DreamWorks costumes coming to life .  I’ve attached some photos to give everyone a glimpse of the two characters, Stoick and Gobber, from our How to Train Your Dragon ice show.

Dreamworks Characters

Dreamworks Characters Stoick

Dreamworks Characters Gobber

There are a lot of discussions about Allure this week, as Ken Rush, our start up Cruise Director, is already in town working on the compasses and activities line up for Allure. There is so much additional programming and activities related to the DreamWorks events that we will probably have at least 26 versions of the compass before we finalize the ultimate week that showcases two ice shows, Chicago, Blue Planet, two aqua theatre shows, 3D movies, parades, as well as all the other special activities and events! There is so much we have planned that I think our guests will need to sail for two weeks in order to experience it all.

BY:Adam|23rd July, 2010 2 Comments

Guest Post - John’s Journey to Haiti: Conclusion of the 4 Part Story

For everyone who has followed my story up until this point, we’ve witnessed the awe-inspiring advancement and outpouring effort across every front of Haiti’s rebuild. From the first shipments of medical and relief supplies transported on Royal Caribbean ships, to the housing camps and school construction and restoring a sense of order and decency back to daily life; the progress has been powerful.

In addition to these projects, I’m also working on the development of the Citadelle as a tourist destination for our guests.  The Citadelle Laferrière is a large mountaintop fortress located near Labadee and the town of Milot.  At the base of the Citadelle there are the ruins of the Palais de Sans-Souci, which was the home of King Christophe. These structures were built between 1805 and 1820 and were part of defense system designed to protect the country from incursions from the French.

The goal of this project is to develop the infrastructure so the sites can receive guests from Royal Caribbean, which in turn creates sustainable businesses and jobs in the area.  To complete this task, we had to develop the logistical plan, safety enhancements, proposed tour routes, and timing along with identifying the basic infrastructure such as roads and waterside enhancements.  I have included a link to what we have submitted to the Ministry of Tourism just to give you an idea of what this tour could look like.  I have included pictures of the Citadelle itself.  In this case, the pictures simply don’t do it justice.

Citadelle Laferriere Mountaintop Fortress at the Top of Labadee in Haiti

stockpiles-of-cannon-balls-still-sit-at-the-base-of-citadelle-laferriere

No guarantee this tour will become a reality but we are pushing for it.

At this point I have completed my official assignment in Haiti but there is still a significant amount of work that has to be completed.  More than likely, I will be involved with these projects as they develop so I will provide updates via Adam’s blog if I’m invited to do so again.

BY:Adam|13th July, 2010 10 Comments

An Update on Royal Caribbean’s Newest Partnerships for Haiti’s Reconstruction

The project partners met with the President and Prime Minister of Haiti last week and, not surprisingly, they were very supportive of the project. Our view is that these types of projects are critical to move Haiti forward. While there are many other issues occupying the world’s attention, not least of which is the oil spill in the Gulf, Royal Caribbean will continue to take an active role in Haiti’s long-term rebuilding as promised. There are no illusions here. Haiti faces incredible challenges that are far beyond any one company’s capacity to solve. But we are committed to play our part.I hope our readers are enjoying John Weis’ series on his time in Haiti helping President Clinton and Paul Farmer with their relief efforts and the beginning of the reconstruction process.   If there are aspects of John’s coverage that you would like to have him further explore, please let me know.  I am proud of the extent and quality of the assistance that John provided.  He makes things happen even in the most challenging of circumstances.  That is a characterization that suits Haiti well.  Now John is “back” doing his normal job, which still involves driving our efforts to construct a new school in Labadee, and to galvanize the Citadelle restoration project.  Congratulations to John on a job very well done.

Citadelle Laferriere Mountaintop Fortress

http://bit.ly/cIKiql

Continuing on the Haiti front, last week there was a press announcement that Royal Caribbean will be working together with Bob Johnson and his team at the RLJ Companies as well as WIN, a successful local Haitian business group, to foster economic development in Haiti.  The particular focus in the beginning will be to construct two factories that will build a special kind of structural panel that is hurricane and earthquake resistant, yet economical for applications such as our school project, housing development and other commercial applications. These panels are a product of the GBS Company from Charleston, South Carolina that partnered with the RLJ Companies to build an upscale hotel in Liberia a few years ago.

The project partners met with the President and Prime Minister of Haiti last week and, not surprisingly, they were very supportive of the project. Our view is that these types of projects are critical to move Haiti forward. While there are many other issues occupying the world’s attention, not least of which is the oil spill in the Gulf, Royal Caribbean will continue to take an active role in Haiti’s long-term rebuilding as promised. There are no illusions here. Haiti faces incredible challenges that are far beyond any one company’s capacity to solve. But we are committed to play our part.

BY:Adam|12th July, 2010 4 Comments

Guest Post - John’s Journey to Haiti: Part 3 of the 4 Part Story

As mentioned in my last post, we have been working with Maryse Kedar to establish temporary schools in some of these camps.  So far there are 14 primary schools and seven kindergartens impacting over 3,000 children.  If Maryse and her organization didn’t take the initiative to establish these schools, 3,000+ children would not have this advantage and necessity of life.  There isn’t room for everyone, but for the kids attending these schools, it’s making a difference.   Pictures speak a thousand words so here are the results of all the hard work:

Temporary School in a Camp in Haiti

Temporary Schools Provide a Quality Education For Children Living in Camps in Haiti

Putting these schools together was truly a team effort so I wanted to show you a picture of the team that did the majority of the heavy lifting making these schools possible.

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BY:Adam|6th July, 2010 No Comments

Guest Post - Allure Visit

Lisa BauerI had the opportunity to visit Allure of the Seas last week in Turku.  Although I always enjoy visiting the shipyard, it is definitely a nicer experience in June than in July.  The only trouble is you can’t really sleep because it is light almost all the time.

We are roughly 125 days from delivery and overall the ship looks amazing.  I couldn’t believe how much further along she seemed to be than Oasis at this time last year.  The scaffolding is down in the Royal Promenade, and we are already laying the tile.  In most areas, the carpet is installed as well.  It was also great to see some of the new venues taking shape, including Rita’s Cantina, the Boardwalk Doghouse, and the Guess store.  There were a few more that are also taking shape, but we haven’t announced those, so I can’t spill the beans yet.

We had several operational meetings with Captain Hernan Zini, who will be the Master on Allure, as well as the hotel start up team, lead by Raimund Gschaider.  The team is very pleased with how the inspections are going, as well as the operational planning.  Because we are taking delivery a few days earlier than originally planned, we need to compress our training schedule based on when the crew charter flights arrive, so we are reworking that plan.

We also have to rework our plans to plant Central Park upon arrival in Port Everglades, as the staging of the plants and the crane can’t interfere with the Oasis turn, so we have to ensure we have this planned out to the minute.

A unique new operational challenge we discussed is where we are going to store all the DreamWorks costumes.  Storage space on a ship is what we often refer to as “Space – the final frontier”, so we are trying to get creative to see where we might be able to house the large number of costumes for this exciting new partnership.

It was a great visit, and we are all looking forward to welcoming our guests onboard Allure.   We now say she is just like Oasis – only newer!

BY:Adam|2nd July, 2010 11 Comments

Guest Post - John’s Journey to Haiti: Part 2 of the 4 Part Story

Before continuing to the next part of my journey, I should tell you that I’m no stranger to Haiti or its people. Leading Royal Caribbean’s nearly 30 year-long relationship with the country, my involvement in Haiti’s revival began long before the earthquake. While developing Royal Caribbean’s private destination at the port of Labadee for the Oasis of the Seas, my tourism path took an unexpected twist. I became a humanitarian aid coordinator overnight. From mobilizing deliveries of food and medical supplies on our ships to teaming up with smaller organizations to support the construction of schools and orphanages, this assignment has transcended the word “job” and become a life-changing undertaking.

I’m proud of how Royal Caribbean has put real people on the ground in Haiti and positioned teams spanning medical relief to infrastructure rebuild. We’ve chosen to pitch in and advance, rather than pull out and abandon Haiti in this grief-stricken hour. As one of its loyal investors, Royal Caribbean has played an integral role in Haiti’s economic progress. Stationed inside the temporary housing camps, I’m eager to share my account of Haiti’s aftermath, recovery—and Royal Caribbean’s plan to ensure long-term success and stability to this beautiful island.

My last article left you looking into the eyes of this family in Haiti.  Like most struggling through Haiti’s chaotic aftermath, this family was unsure what new hardships each day would bring.  Thanks to housing camps and a collective foundation of order, structure and humanity are being restored.

In speaking with the father, I learned this family had lost everything; they were only able to salvage some clothes out of the wreckage of their house along with some sheets and other materials to make their shelter.  He said he was making the best of the situation and wasn’t sure about the future, but they would make it through.  He also made it clear that especially now, the most important thing for him was to make sure his boys went to school and that they looked “respectable.”  The father’s trust in making the most of their present situation and his commitment to his children’s education shows his courage and his strength.  Looking at the picture of him standing next to his sons, it is easy to see the love that holds them all together.

Camp In Haiti

Going though the camps, you saw this situation a lot; fathers and mothers trying to keep their families together through very tough times and trying to do the best for their children.  Being a father myself, you try to put yourself in this situation and anything else going on in your life seems trivial compared to this family and what they will have to go through in the next couple of months, especially during the rainy season.  To help ease the challenges, Royal Caribbean is supporting ProDev’s temporary schools and the installation of water tanks to help provide education for the children and clean drinking water for the people living in the camps.

Water Tanks In Haiti

Woman Gets Fresh Water From A Water Tank In Haiti

The children in the camps really kept me focused and were huge motivators.  These kids are the future for Haiti’s recovery and helping provide these children with a quality education is very important for the long-term success and stability of Haiti.  When you walk through these camps, children are everywhere and love to interact with you.  They really put a meaning into why you’re in Haiti trying to make a difference.  Here are some of the children who live in the camp:

Children Living In A Camp In Haiti

Children Living In A Camp In Haiti

Join me again next week when I’ll take you inside the temporary schools erected in the housing camps. We’ll meet the team members behind these feats of construction, and witness their compassion and dedication to this community.  Brightened by the faces of smiling children, it’s within these classrooms that Haiti’s rebuild will become a reality.

Article by John Weis, Associate Vice-President of Private Destinations for Royal Caribbean International

BY:Adam|29th June, 2010 2 Comments

Guest Post - John’s Journey to Haiti: Part 1 of the 4 Part Story

It’s been over four months since I began my assignment helping with the disaster recovery in Haiti, and to say it has been a life changing experience would be an understatement.  I have seen things I never thought I would; possibly in the movies, but never in real life.  I have also met hundreds of people dropping everything in their normal lives to come down here and live in difficult conditions to help people they have never met.  Most of these people said they had a “calling” to help, and many ended up falling in love with the Haitian people after working here for a period of time.  This is especially true of those that worked with the children.  I also had the privilege of working with people I’ve known over the years that really stepped up to the challenge and ended up playing a leading role in the recovery effort. It was extremely gratifying to see this, and I was proud of them.

As for me, my focus was on helping organizations that were not familiar with operating in Haiti. We would help coordinate their shipments of relief supplies and make sure they reach their people on the ground.  I also worked with these organizations to build their skill sets and capacity internally, so they could coordinate their own shipments going forward.  In addition, I’ve also been working on some of the more strategic initiatives in the area of education, health and long-term growth, specifically job creation.  One area of particular interest is the development of the Citadelle as a guest destination.  I will share more details on this later in this blog.

Before I go any further, I want to make sure I recognize the people I’ve been working with. As most of these initiatives are a team effort, I have the privilege of writing about them on Adam’s blog.

First and foremost, I want to mention Maryse Kedar and her husband Daniel.  They were on the ground during the quake and their organization ProDev, was one of the first to take action by setting up water tanks in the camps, and then temporary schools for the thousands of children in these camps.  Their team, led by Sharon Ramon (one of those people who dropped everything to help those in need), set the foundation for the curriculum and organizational structure for Royal Caribbean’s school initiative.  This is something else I will share with you later in the blog.

Next is Lauren Ordway, who works for Royal Caribbean in the area of Safety and Environment, and coordinated the logistics associated with sending down hundreds of pallets with relief supplies via Royal Caribbean ships.  These supplies consisted of everything you can imagine from medical supplies, construction material, oxygen generators, food, clothing and dialysis machines.  A good portion of these supplies came from Compassionate Alliance who was with us from day one.  There were many organizations working with us, but this one in particular really went above and beyond for Haiti, and I want to commend them for this.

Completing the difficult task of unloading and distributing these supplies was David Southby and Dave Scott.  These two alternated as site managers for Labadee, and had the unenviable task of making sure that donated supplies were distributed to the communities fairly, and that assigned donations got to their NGO partners on the ground.  The word “difficult” doesn’t fully capture the full scope of this task, so I will just say thank you.

Finally there was Gary Bald, Richard Pruitt and Steve Williams who worked to coordinate the overall effort from a leadership, medical and direct resource standpoint.  Anything I asked for, these guys came through with executive support, medical expertise or the intellectual capital I needed to push through a problem.

I think it goes without saying, much appreciation goes to Craig Milan, Adam Goldstein and Richard Fain who had no hesitation supporting Haiti’s relief effort in spirit and, most importantly, from a resource and financial standpoint.  I can honestly say there was never a moment of hesitation in making the generous commitment they made to this relief effort.

I think I covered everyone, but that’s the problem when you start thanking people individually; there are so many, and inevitably, someone gets left out. So, if you’re one of those people, thanks!!!!!

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BY:Adam|22nd June, 2010 No Comments

Guest Post - Craig Milan Introduces Royal Caribbean’s New Voluntourism Excursions

Craig Milan - Senior VP, Land Operations and President of Royal Celebrity Tours

Voluntourism is a new and growing segment of travel and at Royal Caribbean International it manifests itself in several ways highlighting our commitment to the local communities we visit. We are just starting a program of voluntourism opportunities for our guests on Oasis of the Seas and if successful, will be expanded to other areas of need within the regions of our global deployment.

Guests of Oasis of the Seas have the opportunity to contribute to the local community of Cozumel, Mexico . We have partnered with select tour operators and the Mexican Chapter of the Red Cross to offer guests the chance to contribute their time with several projects. The local chapter in Cozumel provides vital services for the island’s residents and visitors. The Red Cross services the community with emergency response, medical services, lifeguard, first aid and other training, health education, and disaster preparation and relief. As part of a beautification project, guests will assist with the planting of trees and shrubs at the local chapter’s new facility. The 4-hour Voluntourism: The Mexican Red Cross Landscaping Project is available for sale online as well as onboard through this summer. The $50 price of the tour covers the materials needed for the landscaping and transportation to the facility with the remaining proceeds donated to the Cozumel chapter of the Mexican Red Cross.

In the near future, Oasis of the Seas guests also will have the opportunity to contribute to the communities of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (from the port of St. Thomas, USVI) and in Labadee, Haiti .

In addition to the active participation of our guests in various programs, we also support a number of worthwhile charities in destinations we serve. Here are a few examples. In Europe guests sailing on Brilliance of the Seas who purchase a shuttle bus pass in Venice also will receive a Chorus Pass ticket, a $13 per person value, which provides entrance to 16 of the most important churches in Venice. The Chorus Association, a non-profit, will reinvest the funds from Royal Caribbean’s purchase of the Chorus Pass tickets in the restoration and maintenance of the priceless churches and the cultural heritage represented in the more than 1,000 pieces of art. The aim of the Chorus Association is to contribute to the safeguarding, conservation, and restoration of the architectural and artistic heritage of churches in the city of Venice.

Guests sailing on Splendour of the Seas , Navigator of the Seas , Brilliance of the Seas and Vision of the Seas who visit Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey and participate in select full day tours will have a tree planted near the House of Mary in their honor and will receive a certificate to this effect. This project is focused on the re-forestation of this critical historical site.

In Juneau, Alaska , guests sailing on Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas can purchase the Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure tour. Guests will play a significant role in a monitored citizen science program while viewing the likes of whales, seals, porpoises, sea lions and sea birds in their natural habitat. This tour provides guests with hands-on experience collecting water samples, trawling for plankton, and recording animal behaviors. All observational data-logging will improve scientists’ understanding of the local food chain and other environmental variables that effect marine populations.

BY:Adam|11th June, 2010 19 Comments

Some Thoughts on Our Exciting Week of Crown & Anchor Updates and News of our Alliance with DreamWorks Animation

It’s been an exciting week for Royal Caribbean International. We are gathering feedback from the market in the aftermath of our two big announcements: the program enhancements to the Crown & Anchor Society and our new relationship with DreamWorks Animation.

We’ve received overwhelmingly positive responses on the Crown & Anchor changes. It isn’t my intention to repeat all of the compliments here (not that it isn’t tempting) but to make a few observations/clarifications.

First, the current Ultimate Value Books (a.k.a. coupon books) expire on June 30th and the new ones will arrive before then. In the interim, we’re giving our guests immediate access to the three most significant new or augmented benefits: Internet, laundry and photo. An insert will be placed in the coupon book onboard until the new ones arrive. On most ships the books will arrive in the next two weeks. Legend of the Seas will get her books in late June.

Second, some of our shareholders who are Crown & Anchor members are displeased that the shareholder benefit cannot be used together with Crown & Anchor discounts, including the new onboard booking bonus. We are sorry that this is the case but we cannot modify our approach in this area. In order for the onboard booking bonus to be as robust as possible and to be used together with the Crown & Anchor discounts, we could not allow the shareholder discount to also be used together with it. Please bear in mind that the reason to own our stock is that you believe the stock represents a good investment in connection with your personal investing strategy. The cruise benefit is a nice opportunity to have, if applicable, but not a reason to own the stock.

Third, we have received comments from members who want the benefit of the new onboard booking bonus retroactively applied to previously made bookings. I hope most of you appreciate that we needed to pick a time to introduce this benefit and that there would always be customers who had booked not long before the implementation date. There is no way to draw a line on retroactivity and so the bonus is applicable for eligible bookings made on or after our June 1st announcement.

Finally, as we have intimated previously, we look forward to introducing more enhancements to the Crown & Anchor Society in the not too distant future.

Returning to DreamWorks, we are really excited about this major step forward in our entertainment and programming. DreamWorks is the leader in animated films and Royal Caribbean International is the leader in cruising. Although these companies have worked in very different spaces, they have in common vision, inspiration, creativity, scale and global reach. Not to mention that both companies’ products make people happy.

From the beginning of the dialogue last year until the announcement on Friday, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and his team have been a pleasure to be around. Their dedication and commitment to exploring the possibilities of a relationship made this relationship come to life. They are very serious about what they do, about the development of their world-renowned characters and about building a foundation for long-term success. We don’t see limits to what we can achieve together.

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BY:Adam|6th June, 2010 46 Comments

Visiting Labadee for a Number of Reasons, Including a Site Visit of the Citadelle

On Friday, for the first time since October, Richard Fain and I visited Labadee. We had three goals for the trip. One, to meet our local management team and express our support for our people and their country. Two, for Richard to pursue the concept of building a school to serve the surrounding area. Three, for me to visit the Citadelle and understand what needs to be done to enable our guests to visit it when the ships call at Labadee. Joining us throughout the day were Minister of Tourism Patrick Delatour and one of President Clinton’s top advisers in Haiti, plus Craig Milan, John Weis and Maryse Kedar.

The site looked great and was in full stride with Independence of the Seas at the beautiful new pier.

I’ve been talking about the Citadelle for a long time so it made sense to actually go and see it for myself. It’s extraordinary. It is the largest fort in all of the Americas and it sits on top of a 3,000 foot mountain. How people in the early 1800’s got the rocks and munitions up that big hill is mind boggling. It was great getting the tour from the Minister of Tourism. Apart from his position in government, Minister Delatour is a historian/architect who has been personally involved in the restoration of the Citadelle since 1972. He explained, for example, that the cannons with Latin inscriptions are French, whereas the cannons with French inscriptions are British. Go figure. Each cannon has its own story. Many are still on their wooden mounts that allow the cannon to swivel and aim from various angles, waiting silently for the French invasion that will never come. The 360 degree view is phenomenal.

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BY:Adam|12th April, 2010 13 Comments