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.

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.

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:

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 - Chicago: The Musical Auditions by Lisa Bauer

Lisa Bauer - Senior VP, Hotel Operations

Last week I joined the team in New York for the auditions for Chicago: The Musical. They have been on the road for several weeks, as they did the first round of auditions in Chicago, and then London. I joined them in New York for the final stop. Mary Ann, Christi, Paul, Robert, Sarah, and Loren were still going strong. (Lots of Starbucks)

This is a very unique opportunity and challenge for our brand, as our team that will be selecting the actors, singers, and dancers is being joined by the actual casting director from the Chicago Broadway team, so we both have to agree on the selections. This is really playing in the big leagues!

Our other challenge is the majority of the people we select also have to be right for Blue Planet, our new aerial acrobatic show and second show on Allure of the Seas, so it is a very complex process. The good news is even if someone wasn’t perfect for Chicago, but was an amazing singer or dancer, we are able to cast them in other shows across the fleet. So it was a great opportunity for us to gain additional talent for our other ships as well.

Overall, we found some amazingly talented Roxies and Velmas and the rest of the cast. A good balance of the cast will come from London and New York and even some who have performed Chicago on the West End and National Tour. It will be so interesting to see them perform on Allure after witnessing them audition and see them go through the entire process. Unfortunately Richard Gere did not make an appearance for me.

Of course we did have some giggles with some of the folks that showed up to sing. It was a little bit like being on American Idol, although our teams are much nicer than Simon. We simply thanked them for coming and said we had heard all we needed to hear for that day.

Now that we have identified the cast, we will bring them to our Hollywood Studios for rehearsals and costume fittings during the summer. We will then join Allure in October and install the show during the crossing. We will be ready to unveil Chicago: The Musical when Allure arrives in Ft. Lauderdale in November. I look forward to welcoming you all aboard what is undoubtedly the ship of 2010 and what we refer to as the “entertainment ship.”

BY:Adam|28th June, 2010 3 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

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

Guest Blog – New eDoc Innovation Simplifies Cruising Documents

If you’re sailing with us in the next month or so, chances are you’ve already received our new electronic guest document, also called an “eDoc.”

This past March, we launched our new guest document platform which allowed us to transition to eDocs. I’ll spare you the techy details, but as Adam mentioned in a previous entry, we endured many episodes of three steps forward and two steps back. Thankfully, our project team for this global initiative was very passionate and dedicated to doing whatever it took to bring this program to life. including many late nights, working through weekends and missed vacations. But, that’s what happens when you push the boundaries of innovation.

In my opinion, the term “eDoc” does not provide an accurate representation for what we’ve created for our guests. This document is more of a “customized mini-website, pre-cruise planner, get-excited-about-your-cruise, and brag-to-your-friends-and-family-what-an-incredible-vacation-you-are-about-to-take” document. However, that title is a bit long, so I guess “eDoc” will have to do for now. No matter what you call it, its way better than our old document which, felt more like reading homework than preparing to be WOW’d on your next vacation.

Some have commented that our eDoc has a lot of pages. This usually comes from people expecting a simple 3 page boarding document – which we still have available to guests who complete online check-in before they board with our Set Sail Pass.

Our eDoc is not meant to be a boarding pass. There are a lot of people here at Royal Caribbean who would like to share information with you to ensure you have an incredible experience. For example, Guest Port Services would like to ensure that you know how to locate the pier, who to call if you can’t find it, and how to purchase ground transfers so we can take care of the hassle for you. Hotel Operations wants you to know about everything you can do before your cruise, like: pre-reserving Specialty Dining, booking Spa treatments, and signing activity waivers so you don’t have to worry about doing it once onboard.
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BY:Adam|9th June, 2010 16 Comments

Guest Post - Allure Update: An Appetizing Contest…

Lisa Bauer - Senior VP, Hotel Operations

I have to admit that I have an incredible team. Just when we thought that the entertainment team was going to position Allure of the Seas as the “entertainment ship” by introducing the Broadway show Chicago: The Musical and the entire DreamWorks Animation experience, our Food & Beverage team is vying for just as much of the spotlight by creating a search for the chef for 150 Central Park for Allure of the Seas with the Culinary Institute of America. We know that well-known brands are very important to our guests, so the ability to partner with the Culinary Institute is a dream.

The Culinary Institute of America, or CIA, is widely recognized as the world’s premier culinary college. It began back in 1946, and today there are over 40,000 alumni that had the benefit of the quality education of the CIA.

The search and contest will be open to all Alumni of the CIA and will run from June 7th through June 20th. Contestants will be invited to post a 5-minute video at AllureoftheSeas.com/CulinaryChallenge, and we will narrow down the list to the top 10 based on a number of criteria. From June 28th to July 11th, the top 10 will be voted upon by our Crown and Anchor Society members, consumers and travel agents who will be able to go to AllureoftheSeas.com to view the videos and cast their vote. As a special treat, all consumers who enter to vote will be eligible to win an opportunity to sail on a pre-inaugural sailing of Allure of the Seas as well as dinner hosted by the winning chef. (Are you getting hungry just thinking about this??)

There will be a total of six candidates whom we will ask to join us at the CIA campus in Hyde Park, in New York on August 5th and 6th where we will be judging their cooking. Five candidates will be selected based on the consumer vote, as well as one judge’s pick that will bring us to six finalists. This will be led by Josef Jungwirth, our Director of Culinary Operations and Frank Weber, Vice- President of Food & Beverage, as well as Betsy O’Rourke, Sr. VP of Marketing and me, as well as other Royal Caribbean judges and the team from the CIA.

The winner will be announced and will be the Chef de Cuisine for 150 Central Park on Allure of the Seas. This is very exciting, because it will give 150 Central Park on Allure its own special experience that will be different from Oasis of the Seas.

We will keep everyone updated on the progress with the selection and I hope everyone joins us in the vote to help determine who will cook for you when you join us on Allure in December!

BY:Adam|7th June, 2010 5 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

New Enhancements for Our Crown & Anchor Society Members

This is an exciting week for Royal Caribbean International. And Why Not? After all, today is exactly six months since Oasis of the Seas departed on her four-night sailing to Labadee. And it’s exactly six months until Allure of the Seas does the same thing!

But that’s only one reason for the excitement. The main reason is the enhancements to the Crown & Anchor Society that we announced earlier today to our Crown & Anchor Society members. There are two things we know about our members. One, their loyalty to us is incredible. Two, they’re not shy about voicing their opinions about the Society and the benefits of membership. So, we have a lot of feedback to work with. We trust our members will be pleased by the enhancements taking effect today. And in our “super-secret, futuristic Society think tank,” we are already working on additional enhancements that will one day cause their own excitement. But let’s do the present now and the future later.

Our goal is simple – to better recognize and reward our loyal members. Not only during the time they are guests onboard but throughout the vacation cycle from cruise, to cruise, to cruise.

Our readers can refer to our Crown & Anchor Society page for all of the details on today’s announcement. I would like to highlight a few of them.

Crown & Anchor Society members will now have the exclusive privilege to reserve their next cruise while onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. The new and exclusive “Onboard Booking Bonus” offers members an onboard credit of up to $200 per stateroom for making a reservation on a future sailing. This Bonus can now be used with either a Crown & Anchor Savings Certificate or a Balcony & Suite Discount (the latter applicable for our Platinum, Diamond or Diamond Plus members), offering members great savings for their next cruise before their current cruise ends.

Previously, there had only been two Loyalty Staff members on our four largest ships. There are now two Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Staff onboard each of our 21 (going on 22) ships. Our Loyalty Staff can help answer members’ questions and help them reserve future cruises to take advantage of the new and enhanced vacation savings, available only to members of the Crown & Anchor Society.

Members will continue to enjoy first-to-know priority notice and access to new developments, special events and exclusive offers that reward their loyalty. Onboard, members will be recognized every time they advance to a higher level of the Society. Members will also enjoy new enhanced benefits in their “Ultimate Value Booklet,” filled with new onboard savings for beverages, internet packages, photo and logo merchandise, supplementing classic favorites such as casino and spa discounts among others.

I probably don’t need to ask for your feedback on this blog entry. As for this week, please remember, it’s only Tuesday.

BY:Adam|1st June, 2010 39 Comments
 

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