My name is Kristin Pearce and I work in the Community Relations department in Royal Caribbean’s Miami office. Our team handles all company initiatives related to the Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAW). June is our company-wide fundraising month for Make-A-Wish called Destination Joy. Many departments in our offices compete for fundraising contributions by hosting ice cream sales, bingo games and even a china and crystal sale, all with the goal of raising money for this amazing organization. As part of our partnership, we host a program called Wishes At Sea, where any given ship could have up to two MAW families onboard. Of course, they are given the Royal VIP treatment and the ship’s crew tries to accommodate every specific aspect of the child’s wish while onboard.
Charity
Although I had just written my “LB from LB” update after visiting Liberty of the Seas post dry dock, I traveled to Barcelona this week to sail with her again. I don’t want to get accused of playing favorites with the ships, but I promised the entertainment team I would be onboard when we premiered our latest Broadway Show, Saturday Night Fever the Musical. I also wanted to see how Liberty and the team onboard did after her first embark in Barcelona, as this is her inaugural season in Europe.
The guest reaction to SNF (That’s how we refer to Saturday Night Fever internally) was nothing short of amazing. The first song started and the guests were already clapping and totally into the show. The audience participation continued through the one hour and twenty minute long show, and culminated in a six minute finale that had the guests on their feet the entire time singing, dancing and clapping wildly. The cast is incredibly talented, in fact, the lead “Tony” actually just came from playing the lead in Grease on the West End in London. The caliber of the cast is unbelievable, because not only do they have to be great singers, but the level of dancing is also highly complex. I know I am biased, but this is the best show we have done yet. I don’t want to spoil too much, so everyone will have to sail on Liberty to experience this special show.
As I did my incognito walk around, I always enjoy watching the guest reaction to our product. This sailing was 4 nights and over 2,300 guests were Spanish. This is more than three times the usual amount of guests on this itinerary. It was very interesting to see what a great asset the digital signs were for our non English speaking guests. These signs are in five languages, and they were used extensively by our guests and got rave reviews. I stood behind a number of guests and asked if I could help them with anything and they said no, that they loved the signs and got the information they needed.
Captain Charles Tiege invited me to dine at the Captain’s table, and it was truly a reflection of the global nature of our brand. We had a number of our most frequent cruisers at the table, and it included couples from Texas, Germany, Canada, and two couples from Spain. As we introduced ourselves around the table, it was interesting to hear the Spanish guests say this was their 43rd cruise, and the German guests had just returned from Allure.
I’m headed home today and sailing on Majesty of the Seas this weekend for a Make a Wish Board retreat and also our Anchored in Excellence program, so I will be sure to update everyone on what is happening on Majesty next week!
Hi, my name is Jamie Sweeting and I’m a recovering conservationist. At least that’s what some people seem to think. Actually, I’m the Vice President for Environmental Stewardship and Global Chief Environmental Officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., which essentially means that if it has anything to do with the environment or sustainability then it’s my responsibility to take care of it. Think of me as the Green Cruise Guy!
Today is Earth Day. For some it’s a day to reflect on the world around us and how it seems nature is hanging in the balance - to be honest, this can get a bit depressing when we hear about the seemingly ever-increasing ways that our lifestyles impact and alter the environment on which we depend. How, despite all the talk of the advancement of the “green movement,” climate change will have profound affects on the planet and it seems we aren’t doing enough to stop it. How our ocean resources are being ever more depleted and impacted by our collective irresponsible actions that one wonders whether there will actually be any coral reefs left to show our grandchildren. Despite the pervasive doom and gloom, for me, Earth Day is a day of celebration. It’s a day to think of how much is being done to address these challenges, to be proud of the part we are playing to make the Planet a more hospitable place for us to inhabit, not just in the distant future but also today. It’s a day to think of all the remarkable places, ecosystems and species that our Royal Caribbean guests are able to experience and enjoy when they cruise to over 400 destinations with our company.
At Royal Caribbean, we believe that we have both the immense fortune to take our guests to so many incredible destinations, but also the inherent responsibility to protect those environments and ensure that peoples’ lives are improved by cruise tourism. I’ve spent nearly twenty years trying to demonstrate how travel can be an overwhelming force for good around the World. I started work as a “Dive Master” and the environmental connection was so clear - protect the reefs and you are nurturing the goose that lays the golden eggs. I then started working in the emerging area of “ecotourism” - promoting travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people. I spent nearly 15 years working for a leading conservation organization (Conservation International) and in 2001, I started researching the cruise industry. Why the cruise industry you might ask? Well, back then, some seventy percent of cruises operated in areas defined as “biodiversity hotspots” - those places on Earth that have the greatest concentration of plant and animal species and also serious levels of habitat loss. Again, the environmental connection was pretty clear.
Today, Earth Day, marks three years to the day that I started working at Royal Caribbean. I’m glad to say that I remain convinced that I am doing more for conservation working at Royal Caribbean than I was before working at Conservation International. Surprised by that? Well, here are a few facts about our company’s environmental work that might also surprise you:
- We have a dedicated Environmental Officer on each of our ships to oversee our environmental stewardship policies and practices.
- We consume about 20 to 50 gallons less of fresh water per person per day on our ships, compared to the average person living in the United States
- We are committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by one-third per person per day by 2015, from a 2005 baseline. In fact in 2010, these efforts translated into a 4.7-percent reduction in fuel consumption per average passenger cruise day over 2009 levels. Our goal for 2011 is to reduce our fuel consumption by another 5.4 percent.
- In 2010, we reduced the amount of waste landed ashore from our ships to just 1.15 pounds per person per day, a reduction of 19 percent from the previous year and 47 percent from 2007 levels. As a point of comparison, the average solid waste footprint per person in the United States is approximately 4.3 pounds per day.
- In 1996, we launched the Ocean Fund, which supports marine conservation organizations in safeguarding the health of the world’s oceans. Since the fund’s establishment, we have contributed more than $11 million to 66 organizations around the world.
These are just some of the reasons I am so proud to work here at Royal Caribbean and I am confident that we are doing the right thing when it comes to taking care of the environment. I hope you will all join me today in celebrating this amazing Planet and all the things each of us does on a daily basis, both big and small, to protect the environment for future generations. HAPPY EARTH DAY!
The request letters continually pour in, we read them and it is sometimes very hard to say “No” to so many worthwhile charities. Our small Community Relations team is very animal friendly, so the letters from all the Humane Societies and animal shelters are especially hard to refuse. But, we are determined to make a difference in the communities with which we live and work, encouraging volunteerism and donating what we can.
Four-time Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift rocked the Boardwalk on Allure of the Seas with her stellar performance in the outdoor AquaTheater this past Friday, January 21st in Cozumel, Mexico. The concert was the first stop of her world tour featuring her biggest hits along with selections from her new album, Speak Now.
The anticipation on the ship all week long was palpable! Guests onboard participated in Taylor Swift-themed events during the cruise including a Taylor Swift Look - A - Like Contest, Trivia Contest, Taylor Swift Karaoke and other activities- all for the chance to score concert passes! In addition, 12 tickets were auctioned off to raise funds for Make A Wish Foundation, raising $8,750.00. Guests who didn’t get seated in the AquaTheater could watch the live performance in the main theater as well as Studio B, the ice skating theater.
Several guests dressed up for the occasion, wearing beautiful dresses and hair and make up to mimic Taylor Swift’s signature look with long wavy blond hair and bright red lips. The boardwalk balconies were all filled with fans waving signs and wearing branded t-shirts to show their love for Taylor. Literally everywhere you looked, there were guests dancing and singing along with Taylor as she serenaded the excited crowd. Two oversized video screens ensured that everyone had a great view of the event.
She wore a beautiful shimmering silver sheath dress and danced across the stage, even going into the audience to hug some fans and express her gratitude for their devotion. Her lively spirit was contagious, with fans of all ages on their feet cheering wildly with every new song.
Click on the photo to view more pictures of Taylor Swift’s performance onboard Allure!
Her management team was a delight to work with and sailed with us for the whole week, entertaining their biggest corporate partners, many of whom had never cruised before. These executives were with companies including Sony, Comcast, Cover Girl and others. By all accounts, they were blown away by Allure of the Seas and the onboard experience and of course, the concert!
If you’re curious as to how it came about that Taylor Swift started her world tour on our ship, all you need to do is meet our Director of PR Tracy Quan. She was the mastermind behind the idea. Literally every area of the ship’s operations was involved in the flawless execution of this very special event. Watch the performance highlights below and share your thoughts with us here or on Facebook.
Anchored in Excellence. Three of my favorite words. We created this phrase 12 years ago to describe our aspiration for our people and our relationship with our employees and guests. It is about our company, not just the Royal Caribbean International brand. In fact, we developed Anchored in Excellence after we brought Celebrity Cruises into the company alongside Royal Caribbean International. The Anchor in Anchored is from Royal Caribbean’s crown & anchor symbol. The X in Excellence is from Celebrity’s symbol.
The expression of Anchored in Excellence takes many forms, from a simple credo card, to the annual visits of every ship in the fleet by senior operations management. I intend no higher praise than when I tell a ship, department, team, or person, that they are Anchored in Excellence.
The qualities of being Anchored in Excellence are exhibited every day in countless ways. Most of them in the delivery of Gold Anchor Service to our guests onboard the ships, but also shoreside across the globe, and in innumerable ways. However, every once in a while there is a major tangible expression of what it means to be Anchored in Excellence. One such example occurred last week, and I can summarize it by repeating here the internal letter I broadcast by email to our people across the company:
 
 
Dear Employees:.
Please join me in expressing my appreciation and gratitude to the crew onboard Legend of the Seas for their valiant efforts. .
Monday, as Legend of the Seas was sailing in the Taiwan Strait, it received a distress call from the Panama-registered freighter Xin Yi. Legend of the Seas noted the position and set a course towards the location. Legend of the Seas was the first ship to arrive at the distressed ship, which was sinking. Faced with very rough seas and heavy winds up to 75 miles per hour, crew members onboard Legend of the Seas immediately began search and rescue operations. Once the Taiwan Coast Guard arrived at the location, they began assisting with air and sea searches. Together with the Taiwan Coast Guard, Legend of the Seas was able rescue three of the crew and assist in the rescue of another nine of the cargo ship’s 22 crew members.
After taking part in the rescue operation for approximately 12 hours, the ship was advised by the Coast Guard that they would assume control of the search for the remaining missing crew members. Legend of the Seas resumed its journey to Hong Kong with three of the rescued sailors onboard. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the cargo ship’s 22 crew members and their families. .
To the Captain, Officers and crew of Legend of the Seas - we are extremely proud of your important contribution to this unfortunate event. Congratulations on a job well done!
This was an awful situation. Even the ship’s heroic efforts could not prevent loss of life as at least one crew member was confirmed dead, and at least three were still missing as of last report. But if Legend of the Seas had not responded in the manner it did, the outcome would have been much worse still. I cannot describe how I feel about Legend of the Seas’ team more powerfully, and succinctly, than to say they are truly Anchored in Excellence.
It is already a great accomplishment to make such an impact once in a year. But I am proud to say that this episode is only one of many such examples from 2010, which has also included our Haiti earthquake relief efforts, the opening of the new primary school on our property at Labadee, the repatriation by Celebrity Eclipse of UK citizens trapped on tour in Spain by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, and many local community service efforts around the world.
We don’t normally allow anything to interfere with our board meeting. But the 1st day of our meeting in New York took place on the same day President Clinton asked me to participate on a Haiti panel during the Clinton Global Initiative annual conference across town. The timing worked out for me to squeeze in the panel which you can watch by clicking on the following link: http://www.livestream.com/cgi_plenary/video?clipId=pla_48410238-f7f0-406b-9339-c85e3b4364eb .
I would like to express my appreciation for the consistent support President Clinton has demonstrated towards Royal Caribbean and to me personally for our involvement in Haiti, both before and after the earthquake.
Maryse Kedar, President of our Haitian subsidiary, was also on the panel on behalf of NGOs active in Haiti. She is one of the most remarkable people I have known in my career, a real treasure for us and for her country.
One way or another, Haiti must find funding to activate the Citadelle master site plan, but it isn’t happening. Thank goodness the school we are building at Labadee is on our property and with our money so nothing can get in its way. It will open next month but the Citadelle situation is frustrating.
Moving backwards in time, the week before the board meeting I was in Washington DC for visits with a variety of people inside the beltway. With the election looming, most of the talk was about whether the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives. I will not prognosticate about that, but I will offer two observations about Washington based upon visiting several times each year on top of the fact that my concentration in the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton was in Government of a Democracy:
- First, from the perspective of someone who works 1,000 miles away, it’s comical to observe how obsessed people inside the beltway are with life inside the beltway. Some of them must believe that life goes on because of them, while most of the rest of us believe that life goes on in spite of them.
- Second, the trend towards partisanship, especially in Congress, is not just a function of people having stronger opinions these days. A fraying of the social fibers that used to hold the political community together regardless of party affiliation exacerbates it. Elected officials feel much more pressure to be in their home districts these days, and often confine their time on Capitol Hill to the minimum hours possible. Their families used to move to Washington when they were elected but now the families remain in the home districts and some Congressmen live in their offices during the week. I can see the Congressmen from South Florida just by taking the early Tuesday flight from Miami to Washington or the Thursday afternoon flight back. The result is that elected officials of the rival parties literally don’t know each other. A close personal friend who is a Congressman says the people who work out together in the House gym in the morning never attack each other personally because they know each other as (sweating) people.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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