Adam Goldstein, President and CEO Royal Caribbean International
Adam is a father and a Phillies fan. He’s got a mean table tennis serve. Read More
My name is Philip Gephardt, and currently I am the Open Deck Manager on Liberty of the Seas, but will soon be transferring to Allure of the Seas. I have been with the company for over three years now, and have loved every ship I have been a part of. So, my friends from the shore side support team have asked if I could write about a regular day in my life, which of course, is not regular at all.
Introduction by Lillian Murphy, Vice President of One-to-One Marketing
What if cruising was more than your favorite vacation – what if it was your way of life? For our top cruiser, Mario Salcedo, Royal Caribbean’s ships are home and the crew is family. Mario is our most frequent guest, with over 2,800 Crown & Anchor Society cruise points earned, and 120 more voyages booked through 2012. Here’s his story.
It was a simple question – “Can you remember your first cruise”? , a guest once asked me. “Of course I can, it was the best cruise of my life,” I replied … at that moment in time, that is.
Upon completing my first cruise back in the mid 90’s I knew there were more to come but I could never imagine cruising would become a way of life for me in the future.
Hi, I’m Mario Salcedo, an addicted “frequent floater” and true loyal to Royal. I’ve been called many things - a cruise rat, a cruise hound, a cruise freak, the George Clooney of cruising, among others. My friends onboard just call me “Super Mario.” But it wasn’t always that way.
I’ve lived in Miami, Florida since childhood. My parents were forced to leave Cuba in the early 60’s seeking freedom from a brutal dictatorship and a chance at a second life. Soon after, we became proud naturalized citizens of the US. I love the United States and especially Miami, where I initially developed a passion for the ocean.
As a student I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance and economics at top notch universities and entered the corporate world to pursue a career in international financial management in Latin America and the Caribbean region. My job required extensive travel to many of the Caribbean islands. It was during these visits that I encountered up close these magnificent cruise ships. I decided that cruising in the Caribbean was something I eventually had to do.
When the opportunity came, I took my first cruise (not on Royal Caribbean!). My life was changed instantaneously. I came to the conclusion that cruising was not only the perfect vacation but the perfect lifestyle.
But how to make it happen when one is immersed in the 9 to 5 work routine? I had to disrupt and redesign my life. On my 48th birthday, I decided to leave the corporate world, start a small and simple to manage financial venture which would provide cash flow, and booked 6 back-to-back cruises. I sampled every major cruise, every type of ship, many itineraries, with absolutely no loyalty towards any particular cruise line.
At the turn of the new millennium my emerging cruising career was about to be redefined. The Voyager of the Seas just came out and I sailed her. She was the grandest and most innovative ship afloat at the time. She left me breathless! I had found the perfect ship and the perfect cruise line!
Then, the Explorer, the Adventure and the Navigator were sequentially introduced. I became emotionally attached to Navigator and sailed her every other week up until 2007 when she relocated to Europe. One of my saddest moments was when I saw her sailing out of the Port of Miami on the transatlantic crossing. I was left homeless, ship-less, and broken-hearted!
But not for long. The Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas were then being home-ported in Miami. The crew on the Liberty decided to “adopt” me, and quickly I fell cautiously in love all over again with this young lady! I sailed her 100 times in a span of 4 years. Recently I “dropped her off” in Barcelona for her European season.
In between my Liberty cruises, I cruised on the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Without a doubt, these revolutionary ships have set a high bar in the cruising industry with all their incredible amenities and innovative features. I have now settled in quite nicely on the Majesty of the Seas sailing the Bahamas. The crew on Majesty of the Seas has “taken me over” making sure I’m well looked after. She’s not the biggest or most glamorous ship in the fleet but she sure has the biggest heart!
I’m often asked “What makes you so loyal to Royal”? The answer is quite simple:
- Royal Caribbean International has the most innovative/creative ships in the world, full of incredible amenities.
- They have the friendliest, most dedicated, professional, and enjoyable crew on the high seas.
- The incentives and rewards program for repeat guests is second to none. My favorite reward – free cruises for every 50 completed, once the highest tier level is achieved.
What are my favorite activities on a cruise?
- Scuba diving in the Caribbean
- Dancing salsa music and playing percussion with the Latin band at the Boleros lounge.
- Socializing and meeting guests from around the world.
- Interacting with crew members.
I also take the time to answer multitude of questions from guests, such as:
- What are the best activities and venues?
- What to do at the various ports of call?
- What recommendations for future cruising?
To be able to contribute to guests cruise experience, especially first time cruisers, is extremely gratifying. In this endeavor, I consider myself a sort of an unofficial ambassador to Royal Caribbean.
A frequently asked question is: What are the most memorable or WOW moments experienced during my cruising life? I tell them I’ve experienced many such moments but the absolute most thrilling ones were:
- Doing a dive under the hull of the Navigator while docked in Nassau. What a thrill it was to have had the unique opportunity to explore underwater the azipod propellers and bow thrusters!
- Being Santa Claus on the Majesty during the Christmas cruise last year and handing out gifts to over 300 kids.
- Being interviewed on the Liberty’s navigational bridge by Captain Charles Teige while sitting in his Captain’s chair.
- Going scuba diving with a group of officers on the ship’s rescue boat in Belize and Coco Cay.
Many people ask me how often I cruise. Well, I now cruise every week. My future cruise schedule shows 120 bookings, all on Royal Caribbean International ships.
As I reflect back on my years of cruising, I smile and think what an exhilarating ride it has been!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every day on the ocean. And yet, it feels as though I’m just getting started … and I will continue on this amazing journey as long as the higher authority gives me good health and as long as I’m having fun.
Happy cruising to all of you!
The Radiance Dry Dock is in full swing. I joined the ship in Victoria to see how the progress was going, as well as to help host a press trip to share the scope of the revitalization work being completed onboard. In addition to our guests from the US and Canadian media, we also had the pleasure of having Barry Penner, the Attorney General of British Columbia, join us at the yard for a full tour and meeting to discuss the economic impact that the cruise industry has on the local economy. Royal Caribbean contributed significantly to the local economy, both in terms of dollars spent in the yard, as well as providing jobs for local contractors.
Overall it has been a very positive experience. The ship yard in Victoria has been outstanding to work with, and has been given top praises by Captain Claus and the New Build team. The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far was running into a Canadian holiday so we had some challenges with customs approvals. This put us behind our plan by about 8%, but we’ve managed to cut the timeline to being 3% behind and the team is confident we can catch up this week.
The biggest comment from everyone was the scope of the revitalization. When walking around Radiance, it had the same feel as when we do our walk-arounds for new builds. There was plywood in all of the elevators, all the carpet is completely covered, and the noise from drills, saws, and hammers resounded everywhere. Several of the areas have complete structural changes, such as the new addition of the pub, so it really is a major revitalization effort.
While part of the team was focused on the actual construction, crew training and orientation was taking place to share all the new venues and services that Radiance will offer. We also had several events and shore excursions for the crew while in Victoria so they could experience the island when they weren’t working. We had about 750 of the crew of almost 800 that stayed onboard during the dry dock.
Our fleet Executive Chef Marco was there as well, and the culinary team was practicing with the menus for the new restaurants. I’m heading back to Radiance this week to see the progress and Chef Marco has promised that the meatballs and lasagna for Giovanni’s will be ready for taste testing when I return. More on that next week!
My name is Christian Compton and I am a project manager in our Newbuilding and Fleet Design department working with our Revitalization team, led by our Radiance Project Manager Dominick Flores, to revitalize our wonderful ship Radiance of the Seas. We have a wonderful team here of Engineers, Architects, Designers, Accountants, Ship Managers, Crew, Contractors and everything else we need to pull off this wonderful challenge. As I am writing this post, the ship is now in day 3 of our 21 day drydock, which will be sure to make Radiance of the Seas one of the most exciting ships in our fleet. You can see more of the details about what new venues we are adding here.
Radiance is the 3rd ship this year to receive new features under our Royal Advantage program after Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. The revitalization of Radiance is the largest of the three projects. I can only say, wow, we are excited. For those of our guests who have followed our company through the years you may remember our team featured in a documentary called “Drydock: A cruise ship reborn.” Well that team has grown and through the years we have pushed ourselves to take on bigger and greater challenges so that we can deliver bigger WOWs.
A big revitalization project like this takes a team of nearly 700 contractors and nearly 75 managers from our shoreside departments. That doesn’t even include the more than 1,000 regular crew members who will stay and help out. Although the ship is only out of service for 3 weeks a project like this is culmination of thousands of man hours, days of planning, meetings, and coordination. Already several weeks before the drydock began on May 20 we had teams or “riding crews” loading materials and organizing plans and cleaning out ship stores. When we build new spaces, we don’t need that old carpet design anymore, what we will need is space for new spares.
The whole team arrived in Vancouver in the days prior to May 20 to make sure that everything was in place to organize time for loading materials, debarking our guests and embarking 500 contractors. So as Radiance of the Seas came into the port of Vancouver, a small army of forklifts and teams were busy organizing containers, pallets, tools and checking-in 500 contractors. Thanks to our outstanding guest services, logistics, and hotel teams 45 minutes after the last guest was debarked 10 containers, 200 pallets and 500 contractors were onboard and making speed to Victoria Shipyard in Victoria, Canada.
The first day of revitalization can only be compared to that first day of school after a long summer break. Just like our guests who build long term relationships with other guests through years of sharing wonderful cruise vacations on our ships, our contractors too have become long time friends. The first day is a chance to see old friends and make new ones to take on exciting new challenges. Even our crew and officers have grown with us. Our outstanding Captain Claus Andersen was Staff Captain during Sovereign of the Seas Revitalization back in 2004. So 7 years later we have been reunited, albeit both in new roles yet just as excited to do it bigger and better.
As we pulled into the drydock on a beautiful spring day here in Victoria, only 6 hours after leaving Vancouver, Radiance of the Seas was already becoming her dramatic new self. Up on top the turf was pulled to make room for new future teak and space for the big screen TV to adorn the pool deck. The golf course was ripped up to make room for a bigger and better one. But the real drama was happening inside.
The Seaview Cafe not only has a seaview, it now temporarily has an open air patio as the window wall was torn down to make room for the new enlarged glass facade of the future Samba Grill. Across the hall the Country Club was paved to make room for the new arcade, which will be bigger than most a float. And as the new arcade was finding its home the old arcade was already stripped down to make way for our new Nursery in the Adventure Ocean area.
Downstairs at the same time the old sports bar memorabilia in the Scorecard Bar was being carefully packed away as a an army of sledge hammer holding demolition crews geared up to bring in the dawn of our biggest and grandest Pub at sea, the “Quill and Compass”. By the next morning the only remembrance of the Scorecard Bar was a Royal Caribbean International pennant hanging on the wall to remind everyone where we are and what is happening.
Part of the fun of growing with this team and developing our skills brings the joy of finding new ways to do our jobs better. We like to call it “finding new toys” and for this Revitalization we have wonderful set of little demolition superstars we affectionately call Terminators 1 and 2. These little machines resemble a little cleaning car, except their brushes are swapped out for mean little blades and spears that can pull up teak, turf, carpet, tile, and anything in between. Before we arrived in Victoria our contractors were struggling with the deck demolition. So when Captain Claus rolled the terminators out onto deck, like “blue knights” riding to the rescue, I can assure everyone the cheers from all the teams were probably heard back in Miami. Ahh the smile of kids and their toys.
While all of this work is going on we have to thank our outstanding crew onboard for keeping us safe, housed, fed and happy. The thing with Revitalization is that we are all living onboard, so really, Radiance is just on a different type of cruise with a different type of guest. Imagine that if you went in for a makeover, however extreme, and that you had to keep working while it was happening, not even the newest smart phone can handle that task. Although we are on a drydock cruise I can ensure you there is no sleeping in. If you would happen to forget to wake up by 7 am there are enough jack hammers, grinders, and workers running around to make sure that you get your wake up call.
Speaking of jack hammers, Our Vice President of Newbuilding and Fleet Design, Kevin Douglas, likes to say you can smell and hear how the project is going. Today I heard jack hammers and smelled burnt steel, so we know we are just starting and demolition is at full speed. Once we get that “new car” smell we will all know that guests are packing their bags and we better be heading out.
Long hours and hard work aside, we are looking forward to moving into the construction phase during the coming days. The real fun is seeing all of the workers and crew get excited about what we believe will be some of the best dining experiences, anywhere. I already mentioned the Samba Grill, but right below will be Rita’s Cantina and Izumi Asian Cuisine. Both venues will be finding homes next to our fabulous Windjammer Cafe making this truly an international culinary destination.
Speaking of international, as we all know we have wonderfully diverse crews, and we have a wonderfully diverse group of contractors helping us as well. Right now there are contractors from more than 20 different nationalities working together to build our new venues. Out here we all speak the same language which translates to working safely and efficiently so that on June 10 our guests will confirm the goal that we are what we are all working towards. To DELIVER THE WOW!
I thought I would give everyone a brief update since the re-launch of our Crown & Anchor Society program in January. The feedback on our changes was very positive and we continue to welcome our members back again and again. We are now very focused on creating even more adventures for our members, ensuring there is an abundance of onboard activities for our valued guests.
What if there was a place you could go to “get away from it all” but still enjoy a sense of comfort and familiarity? A vacation where you could catch up with long-time friends and make new ones, all while enjoying a level of exacting service and complimentary offerings you wouldn’t find on any other cruise line or at any land-based resort?
That’s the unique and welcoming environment that keeps our loyal Crown & Anchor Society members coming back to our Member Cruises every year. From our extensive array of itineraries (22 ships visiting more than 280 destinations!), we hand-pick a select few Member Cruises to enhance with even more activities and gifts designed exclusively for our Crown & Anchor Society members—complimentary extras that take the Royal Caribbean cruising experience to the next level. And now, we’ve extended some Member Cruise features to our new Special Cruises, boasting more enriching offerings for members to enjoy.
Our first-ever Special Cruise recently took place onboard Enchantment of the Seas, sailing from Baltimore, Maryland. We invited renowned contemporary artist, and professor/teacher at the Corcoran Museum, Kathryn Freeman onboard to lead a series of intimate, exclusive sketch journal sessions with Crown & Anchor members. Freeman’s charming figure paintings and drawings have been exhibited in New York, London, Los Angeles, and other cities in the United States and Europe. Her works are part of numerous private and public collections, while her large-scale public murals adorn buildings in several locales.
As it turns out, our Crown & Anchor Society members had an inner artist waiting to emerge. Feedback for Kathryn’s art sessions was extremely positive—we noticed that the students continued to practice their newfound skills outside of class, sketching away while on shore excursions around Nassau and CocoCay. Besides classes, Kathryn also led a book reading with members’ kids, and answered parents’ questions about how to pursue a career as an illustrator of children’s books.
This is the type of personal enrichment we’re aiming for with our Special Cruises—giving our members something to take away from their vacation, whether it’s a new fine arts skill to nurture, a beautiful handcrafted gift made in a jewelry class, or a second language they picked up in a language seminar. Our second and third Special Cruises in the series began yesterday, May 1st onboard Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas as they travel across the Atlantic. Guest instructors and programming vary with each voyage, but our guests can always count on something special planned.
We’re hoping that Special Cruises will be as popular as our Member Cruises, which offer even more for our most loyal guests to see and do. In 2011, there’s one more Member Cruise in store—onboard Splendor of the Seas’ September 26th sailing to the Greek Isles & Turkey—and after that, a Radiance of the Seas’ South Pacific sailing on March 24, 2012. Radiance of the Seas undergoes an array of enhancements in 2011 as part of our Royal Advantage commitment, so members will enjoy eight new dining options, a new Diamond Lounge and Concierge Lounge, plus the exclusive parties, events, turndown gifts, raffles, and enrichment seminars that make Member Cruises a standout voyage.
But what really keeps members coming back to these “reunions at sea” is the sense of camaraderie. Many of our most loyal members have been attending Member Cruises and other Crown & Anchor events for years now, and from these frequent get-togethers, close friendships have emerged. Our latest Member Cruise set sail on April 2nd onboard Enchantment of the Seas, and was a special milestone for Marianne & Herb Lucas who reached 2,100 Cruise Points. And recently, Mario Salcedo celebrated his latest achievement onboard Liberty of the Seas, achieving the 2,800 Cruise Point level. Mario continues to hold the number one position with having earned the most Cruise Points in the program-more than any other member, ever! Congratulations to both the Lucas’ and Mario, on your many travels and thank you for your outstanding loyalty.
Simply click to learn more about upcoming Special Cruises and Member Cruises, or to enroll in the Crown & Anchor Society to start earning your own Cruise Points and exclusive membership benefits.
Bon Voyage!
Hi everybody! I’m Paula Nicol, Adventure Ocean Manager on the Serenade of the Seas and my hometown is Sackville, NB, Canada. I’m proud to tell you that I have been working at sea and with Royal Caribbean International for 12 years now. What is an Adventure Ocean Manager you may ask? Well I oversee the Adventure Ocean program and it’s my job to keep all our junior cruisers, 17 years old and under entertained and to ensure they have a great vacation onboard! How do I do that? I’m lucky to say I work closely with highly qualified Youth Staff, and together we provide an exciting activities-based Adventure Ocean youth program to the kids and teens onboard all our Royal Caribbean International ships. As our company has grown and our ships have evolved, so has (I’m happy to say!) the Adventure Ocean program. This means my job is never boring and always changing. Onboard I oversee 7 different age group programs, starting with kids as young as 6 months, through the oldest, who are our 17 year olds. As an Adventure Ocean Manager it’s important we offer fun, creative, and engaging activities that are age appropriate for each group, thus we always have to keep our finger on the pulse of what the kids and teens love to do!
Guests often say to me “You have the best job, you get to play with kids all day”. My answer “You’re right…I do have the best job in the world”. Having said this, although I do get to play and host activities for the kids and teens, there is also a lot that goes on behind the scenes for an Adventure Ocean Manager, which often takes place before and after the doors to Adventure Ocean open (very early in the morning) and close (very late at night)! I’m responsible for planning the daily activities and organizing the kids & teens cruise compasses, creating and implementing innovative activities, facility inspections for safety and security, training and development of the Youth Staff, equipment inventory, customer service, budgets and supply management just to name a few.
Another question I get asked a lot is “how did you end up doing this job?” After I earned my Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Physical Education and a minor in French, I entered the world of teaching. After teaching for awhile I had the travel bug and while on a sailing trip with friends to the British Virgin Islands we saw a cruise ship (Nordic Empress) docked in Tortola. Three months later I was working as a Youth Staff onboard that same ship, the Nordic Empress. Fortunately I have been able to combine my passion for working with kids and traveling into a very rewarding career at sea!
What does a typical day look like for me? Well everyday is different, depending on whether we’re at sea or in port, high or low kid counts, however a typical, first seaday of the cruise would be something like this:
7:15 am - Rise n’ Shine
7:45 am - Breakfast
8:15 am - AO/Fuel walk through and office time to make sure everything is set for the day.
9:00 am - Noon - Registration in Adventure Ocean.
Noon - Check on Fuel and the Adventure Beach Waterslide area.
12:15 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm - Office time.
2:00 pm - Float through Adventure Ocean to support the teams running the afternoon sessions and check in on our afternoon Fisher-Price® programs.
5:00 pm - Off to the gym for me!
7:30 pm - Back to AO to either support the teams where necessary.
10:30 pm - Wrap up in the office to ensure things are set for the following day.
11:30 pm - Check in on the Late Night sessions and on the Fuel teen programs.
Midnight - Done for the night.
Although our days can be long and we do typically work 4 months straight without a day off, there is so much to smile about at the end of the day that you want to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. There is nothing better than seeing the big smiles on the kid’s faces during activities and hearing the laughter & shrieks of excitement as I pass through the Adventure Ocean facilities. The best compliment we get is when we hear the kids tell their parents “We don’t want to leave!”
Adam Goldstein asked me to think about how the entertainment offered on our ships has evolved since I joined the Cruise industry. As I reflected on this I started remembering that when I was a young man I was a California Dreamer “Boy Singer” living in Los Angeles trying to be the next Jack Jones (If you don’t know who Jack Jones is think a taller, better looking Michael Buble… just kidding Michael). The only problem was there already was a Jack Jones so when I was offered a gig on a cruise ship sailing from Miami, I jumped at it. I had never been on a cruise ship so I really wasn’t prepared for what I discovered.
After I boarded my assigned ship I walked off three times looking for the show room! The ship had originally been a combination cruise ship and car ferry sailing between South Hampton and Gibraltar where the sea could be pretty rough. The “stage” also served as the dance floor. Railings were built around the dance floor in case people lost their balance in the heavy seas on the way to Gibraltar. The effect was that the stage looked like a boxing ring with a very low ceiling. I remember I was considered a bit of a prima donna because I asked for a black out after “my big closing number”. The Cruise Director at the time said “Sure you can have a black out. Just reach up and turn the toggle switch off”. Since the ceiling was so low it wasn’t too hard!
Needless to say cruise ships and entertainment facilities have come a long way since the early 1970s. Today’s vessels are not your father’s cruise ships! But it took a while to get here. I eventually moved to Royal Caribbean International where the first generation of ships, and the rest of the industry for that matter, had relatively limited entertainment facilities. The ceilings were quite low and the theatrical equipment minimal. The theaters were multipurpose lounges for shows, dancing and activities. The best site lines, or best “seats” in the house for viewing the shows, were FROM the stage. By the next class of ships, however, we started to upgrade.
The Sovereign class ships introduced large theaters with good sight lines and better facilities. Thanks to these enhancements and growing management commitment to entertainment productions onboard, the shows were produced with elaborate sets and costumes including video walls and featured larger casts. Royal Caribbean Productions was born in 1990 committing us to in-house produced shows designed specifically for our ships and guest demographics. Prior to that we staged shows by outside producers which were also playing elsewhere and not designed for our audiences. Following the Sovereign class ships each new class of ship introduced even more theatricality and we continued to evolve our commitment to our entertainment product. The Vision class ships introduced orchestra pits, enhanced show automation, and even better sight lines and back stage facilities.
Who knew then that we were headed for the Voyager Class and ultimately the Oasis class ships which would feature more elaborate theaters, introduce ice shows, parades, Aqua Theaters or that we would enter into partnerships with the likes of DreamWorks and iconic Broadway producers for Chicago, Hair Spray and Saturday Night Fever? The journey through the evolution of our entertainment facilities and programming was an exciting creative trip made possible by the relationships developed with visionary architects, designers, creative staffs, consultants and a committed senior management who encouraged and supported us with the necessary resources along the way.
The lines between entertainment and guest activities have blurred and merged delivering exciting personal experiences through land based quality sports facilities, full court basketball, rock climbing walls, FlowRiders, zip lines, mini-golf courses and yes - Presidential table tennis facilities.
The ideas for all these innovations are the result of many creative minds with the help of serendipitous occasions during the process. One of my favorites, for example, includes when we introduced concepts to our management team for activity in Studio B, our onboard Ice Skating rinks. We mentioned we might even do some limited glice skating as a demonstration for our guests. When Richard Fain saw this he said ”No way! If you are going to do that we will have a REAL ICE RING there” Needless to say my staff and I would never have had the nerve to ask for the first ice rink at sea.
The same sort of surprise occurred the first time we saw the drawings for the aft space of the Oasis of the Seas. The architects had placed a pool in the open deck. Everyone in the room upon seeing the suggestion for the first time shouted that it looked like a perfect amphitheater. This space, of course, became the focal point AquaTheater for the Boardwalks onboard our Oasis and Allure cruise ships.
This story, quite naturally, leads to an exploration and discussion of all the great talent, personalities, designers, and entertainment concept development teams who have brought all these spaces to life. The introduction of those talented characters (and I mean characters in the most respectful and fun way) is a story I’ll save for another time!
Introduction by Adam Goldstein
As we have been reporting, we will have eleven ships cruising in Europe this summer visiting 85 ports in 34 countries which provides so many opportunities to visit this fascinating region of the world. In this blog entry, I have asked Patrick Schneider, Director, Shore Excursions, to update you on some of the highlights of the tour program that will be offered for guests visiting Europe this summer. Patrick is one of the leaders in Craig Milan’s Land Operations group.
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Guest blog by Patrick Shneider
My primary responsibility as Director, Shore Excursions, is to oversee a team of Account Managers who identify and develop the tour programs offered worldwide on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. I am passionate about providing our guests the opportunity to experience amazing cultures around the world, to try new things they never thought they would and to simply escape from their day to day routine. As a former Shore Excursion Manager onboard Celebrity Cruises, I spent several seasons cruising in Europe and learned to love this wildly diverse region for its culture, history, architecture, and people. In my current role, I travel to Europe periodically for onsite inspections and always find a new place to visit or a new experience to try, regardless of how many times I’ve been there before.
Since there are so many things to see and do in Europe I wanted to use this blog to share some of my destination and tour recommendations to help first time and returning visitors select ports and cities. While there are many options for exploring Europe during a cruise vacation, from exploring on your own to hiring a tour guide, my following recommendations highlight great tours that we offer.
Whatever you decide, the main point is to take advantage of the unique occasion to experience something different, and learn all sorts of new things!
First-time visitors to the amazing city of Rome, Italy via the port of Civitavecchia will undoubtedly want to experience the famous landmarks they’ve read and heard about. Rome has an atmosphere and mystique around it, which envelopes its visitors. It has such a deep and interesting history that even if you have visited the city before, you can go back and see something new. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of Europe’s most influential cities! Venues in Rome can be split into religious and secular options with some qualifying as both. The “Rome, the Eternal City” tour offers a religious overview of the city with visits to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Colosseum while our “Imperial Rome” tour offers a secular perspective with stops at the Colosseum, Roman Forum and St. Peter’s Basilica. Guests who are returning to this port may want to experience something outside of Rome. The “Olive Oil Tasting & Scenic Drive” is perfect for guests who would like to take in the flavors and history of Etruscan Italy and enjoy the taste of typical Italian products, all homemade in a typical farmhouse located in the beautiful countryside of Tuscania. And for the chef (or want-to-be chef), try your hand at making three types of pasta on the “Pasta Making Experience & Lunch” tour before enjoying a five-course meal with several courses of pasta. Having just returned from a trip to Italy, believe me that there is nothing like Italian pasta. Well, except fresh mozzarella or pizza or wine or homemade olive oil or….
Corfu, Greece is on an island and is the most westerly point of Greece. For me, Corfu is a perfect example as to why the Greek Islands are so sought after as a premier vacation destination. It is full of beautiful scenic views, and has an air of relaxation around it. Even if you just go into the town and walk around, you can feel your stress just melt away. One of the highlights of Corfu is the Achilleion Palace, built by the Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissy’ of Austria in 1891 and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. And one of the most beautiful spots on the island, celebrated for its unique and natural beauty, is the Bay of Paleokastritsa, known as the Capri of Greece. Both of which can be experienced on the “Achilleion Palace, Paleokastritsa & Old Town” tour. Guests looking for a more low-key experience will love the beaches of Corfu found in the “Dassia Beach Hotel Package.”
Guests returning to Europe will find the country of Israel fascinating. It is hard to compare this country with any of our other destinations, when you think of the number of different cultures that have inhabited the region. What I found most surprising and interesting during my visits were all of the different phases the area has gone through – and that you can explore all of these from the ports we visit. Royal Caribbean International visits two ports in Israel to provide guests with a comprehensive experience of the country. The most popular activity from Haifa, Israel is to visit Galilee, the scene of Christ’s youth where Jesus was baptized, preached and performed many of His miracles. Other popular sites include the River Jordan, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of Multiplication, and Nazareth, which are all visited during our “Nazareth and Galilee - Jesus Ministry” tour. Guests looking for another unique spiritual tour will enjoy learning about Kabbalah on a tour to its birthplace during “The Saffed Kabbalah Experience.”
From Ashdod, Israel, the most popular destinations are Jerusalem and Bethlehem. On the “Jerusalem & Bethlehem” tour, guests will travel to Jerusalem to visit some of the most sacred sites in the world, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Western or Wailing Wall and the Church of Holy Sepulcher. In Bethlehem, guests will visit the Church of the Nativity. Return visitors will be fascinated by The Dead Sea & Massada excursion. Here visitors can soak up the history of the moving site where Jewish zealots held Roman armies at bay for three years followed by a visit to the the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.
Guests who are looking to take full advantage of the two days in Israel can book the “Grand Overland” tour which features Galilee and Jerusalem and many of the sacred sites I mentioned earlier, as well as lunch in a kibbutz and an overnight stay in Jerusalem with an optional tour of the Old City at night.
Guests cruising in Northern Europe will find the ancient city of St. Petersburg, Russia rich in cultural heritage and a masterpiece of architecture. I have to confess that St. Petersburg is one of my favorite European destinations. While its history is not as long as some of the cities in the Mediterranean, it is very rich and displays one of the most impressive periods of the Russian culture. It is simply fascinating to explore these venues and see how much influence and interaction this empire had with other countries. Additionally, the collection of art and artifacts found in these venues is just beautiful. As with most cities in Europe, one day is never enough to fully explore all they have to offer. With St. Petersburg, you’re in luck as many of our cruise itineraries here offer two days in port. Guests can visit their fancy of palaces, cathedrals, museums and much more. On the “Hermitage & Peterhof” tour, guests will visit the Peterhof Palace which is a testament to the pomp, pageantry and extravagance of Russia’s ruling class. Also on this tour is Yusupov’s Palace which became known as the place of Rasputin’s assassination. On the “St. Petersburg Cathedrals” tour, guests will visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral which is one of the world’s largest cathedrals, the Cathedral of Resurrection on Spilled Blood, which was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated, and St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, which combines the Baroque style with elements of traditional Russian architecture.
Of course, no trip to St. Petersburg would be complete without a visit to the Winter Palace, which is home to the Hermitage Museum. This enormous complex is comprised of five buildings and displays one of the greatest art treasures in the world. Today, the museum contains more than 3 million exhibits, rivaling the Louvre and Prado in architectural, historical and artistic magnificence (after 10 visits to this fascinating museum, I’ve probably only seen 30% of its displayed contents). On the ”Exclusive Hermitage Museum with Gold Room” tour, the highlight is a visit to the Golden Treasury Room which contains the famous Scythian and Greek gold, numerous royal gifts, and a collection of Western European jewelry made by the most prominent jewelers of the time. Guests looking for a perspective on today’s Russia will enjoy the “Local Life Experience: Metro Ride, Kuznechny Market” tour. Or take advantage of the opportunity to visit the home of the Kremlin on the “Journey to Moscow” tour.
I’ve only talked about five of the 85 ports we’re visiting this summer in Europe – if I had unlimited time and space, I could go on for hours about all there is to do in these ports (fortunately for you, that’s not the case). For more details on the tours I referenced and the hundreds of other tours we’re offering, you can visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/ShoreEx.
Intro from Adam:
Many readers have requested to hear more about our crew, their backgrounds and their responsibilities. Since we also hear similar questions from guests onboard, I will ask select crew members to periodically blog about their experiences on our ships. I hope you enjoy the first post from Cruise Director, Ken Rush. Please let us know what other crew members or roles you are interested in hearing more about.
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I’m Ken Rush, a Cruise Director on Allure of the Seas and I can boast of being from the Courtesy Capital of the World - La Mirada, California. After studying acting, I pursued a successful career as a Master of Ceremonies for many major events including charity auctions, nightclubs and cabarets. In the fall of 1984, I took a cruise aboard the Azure Seas that changed my life. Within months I was hired as a Cruise Staff member. I was promoted quickly through the ranks holding several positions from Shore Excursion Manager, Production Manager to Cruise Director. I have been Cruise Director on numerous Royal Caribbean International ships and am very honored to have been chosen as part of the inaugural team taking out all of our new ships including the latest amazing, Allure of the Seas.
Many guests ask me, “Do I ever sleep?” and the answer is “Yes about 5 hours a day.” That’s not necessarily true, it’s more like 5-7 hours on a very busy day, like an average sea day onboard the “Ship of Entertainment,” Allure of the Seas. Our ship offers entertainment not only in the evening time, we offer entertainment all throughout the day.
As the Cruise Director, I am in charge of all of the activities and entertainment throughout the entire cruise and I am not just saying this, as much as I have enjoyed every ship I have ever worked on, we have really hit a home run in every aspect onboard Allure of the Seas with the many different shows we offer and the quality of the shows, which in my opinion (and many others) are terrific.
Also, a lot of people have no idea what is involved in being a Cruise Director as they think the only thing we do is host the activities and shows. There are many things to do behind the scenes; from office time which includes planning the cruises, creating the activities, music and entertainment schedule for the week, to budgets, finances, human resources and managing a team of 225 staff members, just to name a few but there is much more.
Here is an example of what a sea day looks like to the Cruise Director of Allure.
7:00am – Wake up and get ready for a busy sea day
7:30am – Office time – making sure everything is set for the day and to look ahead and plan future cruises.
8:30am – Meeting with the Hotel Director and all division heads to discuss business of the day and the entire week, the clientele and any concerns or questions everyone has.
10:30am – Call with the Miami office and my bosses in Entertainment and Guest Activities for a weekly check in.
11:00am – Record television show for guests
11:30am-12:15pm – Walk the ship saying hello to our guests.
12:15pm-12:30pm – A quick lunch
12:55pm – Close the “How To Train your Dragon” Family Ice show
1:15pm – Host the Belly Flop Competition in the AquaTheater
2:55pm – Close the next “How to Train your Dragon” Family Ice Show
3:00pm – 4:30pm – Walk the ship saying hello to our guests
4:30pm – Get ready for the evening
5:00pm – Attend and host the Platinum and Diamond party for our Crown and Anchor Society members who have sailed many times with us before.
6:00pm-6:30pm – Dinner
6:30pm-7:30pm – Office time – answer emails and do business calls.
7:30pm – Host OceanAria Aqua show
8:15pm – Close OceanAria Aqua show
8:15pm-9:30pm – Walk the ship and check in with the staff and musicians and support them in the shows and music sets they are hosting
9:30pm – Host next OceanAria Aqua show
10:15pm – Close OceanAria Aqua show
10:15pm-10:30pm – Run over to the Amber Theater
10:30pm – Host the Love and Marriage Game show
Midnight – Attend the Escape by Malibu party in the Solarium, support the team running the event and socialize with our guests.
1:00am – Go to bed and get ready for another full day tomorrow.
Typically a Cruise Director works for 4 months then has 2 months off and yes, during the 4 months on, we are really “on” with no days off and very limited time off but if you love people like I do and love your job like I do, it’s a wonderful life. And I must love it as I just celebrated 26 years with Royal Caribbean and I still enjoy every single day.
People also ask me, “What is the toughest part of your job?” and my answer is “To try and make every single person onboard happy.” Some say that is impossible and my response to that is, “that doesn’t mean I won’t try…..I only want all of our guests to have a wonderful cruise vacation and yes, I know that sounds like a planned response but I am very sincere when I say that because I truly mean that.”
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.
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.
Do you have a question you would like to ask Adam?
LISA BAUER
Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations Royal Caribbean International
CRAIG MILAN
Senior Vice President, Land Operations Royal Celebrity Tours
Craig Milan is the president of Royal Celebrity Tours, the land tour division of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which offers unique land tours in conjunction with cruises in Alaska, Europe, Australia & New Zealand, South America Asia and Dubai. Craig can also provide our readers with the latest information on government relations, shore excursions, our private beach destinations, commercial development, guest port services and port operations. Craig is a competitive open water swimmer and an avid triathlete.
JOHN WEIS
Associate Vice President, Guest Port Experience Royal Caribbean International
John Weis, Associate Vice President of Guest Port Experience manages our two private beach getaways CocoCay, Bahamas and Labadee, Haiti, all shore excursions world wide and was involved with the Clinton Global Initiative. His past blog posts have shared the latest on our work with rebuilding Haiti and offers ways for our guests to get involved. John is married and has two children, a boy and the girl. He is an avid diver and boater and has lived in South Florida for the past 35 years.
BETSY O'ROURKE
Senior Vice President, Marketing Royal Caribbean International
Betsy O'Rourke is the Senior Vice President of Marketing where she is responsible for all aspects of the global cruise line's marketing program, including brand strategy and positioning, consumer and trade advertising, web and loyalty marketing, research, brand development, and communications. Betsy shares exciting news on upcoming brand partnerships, campaigns and the Crown and Anchor Society. She was born in California, lived in Europe for ten years and her first job was crewing on day boats in Malta.
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