Management life – We had a Board of Directors meeting last week. Obviously it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on matters we discussed with the Board. But I mention it because each of our four Board meetings per year is a big deal. Although we discuss issues that we already spend a lot of time on as management, preparing for a Board meeting really makes you think about what you are doing and saying. It isn’t just the Board meeting itself. The committee meetings the day before are important too. The audit committee is not usually an edge of the seat affair but it is a crucial component of proper governance in the 21st century. Meanwhile, the discussions we have in the safety, security and environment committee are always extremely beneficial to our oversight of the most sensitive areas of the business. I thought this was a particularly good meeting especially in light of the challenging nature of the current business environment.
Oasis life – Less than 40 days to go! We had an offsite staff meeting (we call it brand ops) to go over the inaugural program in detail. Intense detail. The variety of moving parts necessary to accomplish our aspirations for the last 20 days in November is mind-boggling. Some of my colleagues were exposed to the full array of challenges for the first time. They appreciate their peers in Sales and Public Relations now more than ever, I can assure you. Our key project managers for this epic undertaking are Ken Muskat, Vice President of Sales, Pam Patterson, Director of Event Planning, and Tracy Quan, Director of Public Relations. They could be doing an experiment in sleep deprivation. Frankly, our biggest issue is not being able to invite everyone we would like to invite. There are two one night events that anyone who is willing to pay the price to support a good cause can attend. November 29 is a charity benefit for the United Way. November 30 is a charity benefit for the Make-A-Wish or alternatively Our Kids. Our Kids is the lead agency in Miami-Dade & Monroe for foster care and related services. I just finished my three year stint as Chairman of the Board of trustees there. November 30 is also the naming ceremony for Oasis of the Seas. If you like bagpipes this is the one to attend.
Running life – The good news is I lowered my PR to 19.20 in a recent 5k and I’m confident I can go sub-19 in favorable weather. The bad news is I tripped over a curb in the dark on a morning run and crashed face first into an adjacent curb. Ouch. Not a good way to prepare for a week of media interviews in Europe.
Hi Adam I wanted to talk about the cigar lounge that are offerd on the ships. There are some that have coinsurers club,but there are some that do not offer any. They set up locations during certin hours and they are usually in the viking lounge late at night when the music is so loud that you can not enjoy a conversation with other people. Maybe you could consider the libary or the card room late at night. cigarettes are ok at the bars but pipe & cigars are not Dose not sound fair.