Posts Tagged ‘guest’

Guest Blog: Exciting Innovations on Oasis of the Seas

Although Richard Fain is keeping everyone up to date in his Chairman’s Blog on Oasis of the Seas, the amazing features of this ship cannot be contained in just one blog. So I have asked Lisa Bauer to write about several innovative uses of technology that will bolster the guest experience on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and (over time) elsewhere in our fleet.

Lisa Bauer

Lisa Bauer

Oasis of the Seas ended up the size she did because of the variety of guest amenities we wanted to include on our newest, most innovative ship. Similarly, the number of new technological enhancements on Oasis has also been driven by our desire to substantially enhance the guest experience. We never want to use technology simply because it’s cool or new, but rather because it somehow makes the guest experience better in a transformational way. I would like to share just a few examples of new technologies we have onboard this remarkable ship and what they will do for our guests on Oasis:

1. Two new advanced reservation options

First, guests will be able to customize their Oasis experience by utilizing our entertainment reservations system prior to sailing. We call this “show tickets.” Guests can pre book shows (including Hairspray) and each guest’s Seapass card will act as their reservation and will be swiped at entry at showtime. For those that don’t pre book their shows, we will also have a Box Office onboard for reservations as well. We recently piloted show tickets on Liberty of the Seas and it was very well received by our guests.

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BY:Adam|4th September, 2009 15 Comments

Guest Blog: Finding Culinary Talent for 150 Central Park

I must say, asking my colleagues to do guest entries is becoming an irresistible attraction! Of course, I’m very fortunate to have such outstanding colleagues to ask to contribute to this blog. Plus this amazing business has no end of topics to write about. In this particular case, I am asking Frank Weber, our VP, Food & Beverage, to go into more detail on our approach to 150 Central Park on Oasis of the Seas, the most upscale specialty restaurant concept we have undertaken to date.

Frank Weber, VP, Food & Beverage

Frank Weber, VP, Food & Beverage

There is no doubt that the rise of celebrity chefs over the last decade has been a phenomenon which has elevated the interest in food, cooking & dining to levels never seen before. The popularity of The Food Network on television as well as magazines such as Food & Wine and Gourmet is to be credited for educating consumers and helping them to understand and appreciate the art of food, cooking and wine, which used to be the privilege of a few. This has created true celebrity status for chefs and has created a generation of “foodies”.

Over the years, a variety of ‘celebrity chef’ concepts for our ships have been presented to me for consideration. My responsibility is to review these proposals and assess their value. It is no secret that celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay are well known amongst the general population and come at a price. Rachel Ray, for example, according to Forbes earns $18M a year!

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BY:Adam|19th August, 2009 10 Comments

Guest Blog: Introducing ChoiceAir

Today I have the pleasure of asking Doug Santoni, our Senior VP, Revenue Performance, to tell you in more detail about a new approach to combining a cruise with air travel. I hinted at this recently because I have been so anxious to get the word out that I could not control myself. In the 1990’s, we used to debate internally a concept we called “one stop shopping.” What some of us imagined is now here and actually, with the benefit of today’s technology, the new offering is far beyond what we had envisioned back in the day. Congratulations to Doug and his team.

Doug Santoni

Last month Adam shared some thoughts with you about the “Why Not?” philosophy that we subscribe to in our Nation. As he explained, “Why Not?” is supposed to expand our thinking about something that might surprise you, seem serendipitous, improbable – or even impossible. So it may surprise you that the topic today focuses on “Why not simply do what makes sense and will make our customers happy?”

When it comes to traditional cruise line air/sea programs, we have become more accustomed to hearing our customers ask “why?” Perhaps you have asked some of these same questions:

• Why can’t you tell me my flight itinerary at the time I book my cruise?

• When I finally see my air itinerary, why is it such an inconvenient schedule?

• Why does the fare seem higher than those I see on the internet?

• Why do I have to fly from one of your approved gateways?

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BY:Adam|31st July, 2009 15 Comments

Guest Post: Bark Blog

Psychology 101 teaches us that first and last impressions have a disproportionately large impact on memory formation. It’s not surprising, therefore, that the process of departing a cruise figures prominently in our guests’ recollection of their experience with Royal Caribbean International. Guests have been asking us for a long time to improve the debark experience. Lisa Bauer, our Senior VP, Hotel Operations is my guest today to tell you what have done in this regard. Congratulations to Lisa and her team as well as Craig Milan and his Guest Port Services team for moving us forward in this important area.

Lisa Bauer

Lisa Bauer

You may wonder why I’ve titled this particular blog “bark” and what it could possibly mean. The subject matter is actually about the enhancements we’ve made to the departure, or debark processes. So, when we formed the working team to review guest feedback, recommendations and current practices with a focus on materially changing the process, my staff thought that it would be fun to name the project “Bark” because I love pets and have 3 dogs, and that it would be one of my favorite projects if it was named “bark.”
The review of the “bark” processes highlighted that we had the opportunity to improve the guest experience.
Before I get into the disembarkation process I wanted to make one small comment regarding our embarkation process. One of the best ways our guests can ensure a speedy embark process is to complete the online ‘Set Sail’ check-in prior to arrival. This greatly expedites the process so that you can be well on your way to enjoying a wonderful cruise vacation.
With regard to our disembarkation procedures our customers told us what was most important to them was not to be “kicked out of their rooms at 6am;” that all the announcements created a hectic environment; and that we had the opportunity to improve the overall experience. We also had some challenges with the length of time the process takes. The majority of these items are directly in our control, so we listened to the feedback and made changes. However, to truly have an expedited departure, we are also highly dependent on the local customs and border patrol staffing and support, and this is an area that we don’t directly control. We continue to work with local officials to improve in this area as well.
Based on the suggestions and requests, on departure day, guests now have extended access to their staterooms, as well as continued in-stateroom TV entertainment. In addition, guests are receiving an “As You Depart” notice the day before departure, which communicates the location of departure lounges offering refreshments and light entertainment as well as information related to local immigration and customs and the anticipated timing of departure for various groups. We also saw the opportunity to ensure that families had a unique experience, so one of the departure lounges is now a dedicated Family Zone, which will include refreshments, toys and games geared toward younger cruisers. One of the key highlights of the new process is the minimal amount of ship-wide public announcements all morning to maintain a relaxing atmosphere, with nearly all departure updates limited to the departure lounges and through the in-stateroom TV programming. The overall feedback so far has been very favorable, and we continue to focus on how we can improve both the embark and debark process.

BY:Adam|24th July, 2009 16 Comments
CATEGORY: Guest Posts

An Inside Perspective – The Nation of Why Not

We are well into our first year of our new marketing campaign - The Nation of Why Not - and some of the key elements have crystallized while others will continue to evolve. We’re proud and excited to communicate that anything is possible on a Royal Caribbean vacation. Why is anything possible? 40 years of passion for guest satisfaction plus 40 years of commitment to innovation have produced myriad experiences for guests who want action and total relaxation for guests who just want to de-stress. It is our responsibility to keep the quality of our product high and keep the innovations coming so this equation endures into the future.

What have we learned about The Nation of Why Not? First, that the Why Not? part actually comes first in the sense of challenging consumers to become our guests, leave regular life behind and experience a Royal Caribbean vacation. Second, once onboard our guests come to understand the concept of the Nation. Our ships are unique environments that combine amazing features with Gold Anchor Service and interesting destinations. Over time we have been extremely fortunate to develop great loyalty from our resident (crew) and guest citizens as well as the ambassadors (travel agents) of the Nation. Each element of our citizenry is crucial to our success.

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BY:Adam|18th June, 2009 29 Comments

Guest Post: One of our Best Assets - Travel Agents

Adam: In addition to all the wonderful and talented employees that work onboard our ships and in our offices, we also rely on the community of professional travel agents to help guests plan a memorable vacation before they sail. This week, I’ve asked Vicki Freed,

Vicki Freed

Vicki Freed

senior vice president of Sales, Trade Support and Services, to discuss why we recommend travel agents and the important role that they play. Thank you Vicki!

One of my most memorable Royal Caribbean experiences was before I even worked here. It was on Freedom of the Seas, the newest ship around at the time, when my 11 year old son and I successfully finished riding the waves on the FlowRider – what an amazing experience! My son was in awe and kept telling me “Mom, this is the coolest ever!” I responded, “That’s good honey but don’t go around saying that, Mommy works for the competition.”

Well, I’ve now been working at Royal Caribbean a year and a half and I have to agree with my son….Royal Caribbean is the coolest thing ever!

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BY:Adam|12th June, 2009 11 Comments
CATEGORY: Guest Posts