President & CEO Adam Goldstein Talks about Royal Caribbean’s Dedication to Safety

The Costa Concordia accident is a defining moment in the history of the modern cruise industry. We will need the results of the authorities’ investigations to truly understand and respond to all of the implications. But we do not need to wait for anyone or anything to underscore the preeminent role of safety in the daily life of every cruise ship and of the industry as a whole.
By coincidence, half of our Captains and most of our Hotel Directors arrived in South Florida for our annual Fleet Operations leadership conference over the weekend. This gave our Chairman Richard Fain and me a timely opportunity to underscore both our excellent 42 year safety record and more importantly to emphasize the imperative of keeping our record intact into the future.
There are many aspects of safety. Although we are proud of our people, processes and technology in all areas of safety, we must review them all again, especially recruiting, training, guest mustering and evacuation. We have considered and prepared for very many scenarios. Now we need to broaden the range of scenarios even further.
In the upcoming weeks we will communicate by text and video about many of the key elements of safety. Many readers who know us well will not be surprised by our focus on and commitment to safety.  Those who have less experience with us should learn some interesting and compelling facts about how we prepare our ships and crew for safe operation every day.   For example, the rigorous preparation and ongoing training that every Captain in the Royal Caribbean International fleet must undergo.
Safety is a journey rather than a destination. We need to operate safely now yet constantly improve our safety. We need to hunt for lessons learned in every minor incident or accident. We need to apply those lessons learned across the fleet ASAP. This is a never ending cycle. As our Chairman Richard Fain says, there is no such thing as perfect safety but there is such a thing as perfect dedication to safety. We strive to be true to that concept.
The process of continuous improvement in safety is evident in our fleet. The newer ships are beneficiaries of decades of naval architectural progress.  They are also beneficiaries of the development of the requirements that ships must meet under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Where we have clearly succeeded with new approaches, such as the e-mustering procedures on Oasis-class ships, we are in the process of retrofitting the fleet where possible.
Global, regional, national and local authorities are going to review with increased intensity all regulations related to cruise ship safety. We enjoy strong and positive relationships with the IMO, U.S. Coast Guard, Flag states, Port states and innumerable other authorities around the globe. We look forward to working with them to make the safety record of modern cruising even stronger than it already is.
I often thank the men and women of Royal Caribbean International for the great job they do delivering Gold Anchor Service and the “Wow” to over three million guests per year. Implicit in that appreciation is recognition of their dedication to the safety of our guests and their fellow crew. It seems appropriate now to make my appreciation explicit as well as to remind all of my colleagues shipboard and shoreside that our vigilance must encompass every drill, every training, every voyage plan, every analysis of incidents/accidents and every day of ship operations.
My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been directly affected by the tragic accident on Costa Concordia.

The best of both worlds! Pre & Post Cruisetour


A Cruisetour is a combination of an exciting cruise vacation and adventurous land tour that allows the guest to experience a complete vacation. The coastal areas that the cruise ship visits are beautiful, but there are some interesting in-land areas & sights that a cruise ship cannot visit. By combining a cruise tour with a cruise to Alaska, Europe, Australia & many more destinations guests are able to see everything from a fabulous port of call along the coast to the magnificent cities located inland.

The Cruisetours are fully escorted by knowledgeable tour guides. The land tours generally ranges from two to fourteen nights and are designed to maximize the time spent sightseeing on many of the inclusive tours. The Cruisetour also gives the guest the opportunity to explore the city on their own.

In addition to the cruise, the Cruisetour includes accommodations in some of the finest hotels including 4 and 5 star properties, sight seeing on motor coach or trains with trained experts to make sure guests enjoy the unique attractions, historic landmarks, cultures & local flavor at each place.

Guests can decide to take a Cruisetour either before or after their cruise. Major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity cruises offers many optional land excursions at different destinations that would delight the fancy of the young & young at heart! There are also ‘Family Style’ Cruisetour packages providing abundance of educational opportunities and experiences with lots of fun.

If your guest wants the best of both worlds, a fantastic cruise vacation and an exciting land tour, then a Cruisetour is the right one for them.

To check out Cruisetour options with Royal Caribbean International, click on the link below:

Cruise Line Policies



The Cruise Lines follow a set of policies & guidelines that are designed to ensure the safety and security of their guests. The Cruise Line policies varies and it is important for the guests to know the policies and restrictions before they book & confirm their cruise vacation. Here are some general guidelines on the different policies of cruise lines.

Infant Policy:

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise. However, for some longer sailings and specific destinations, the cruise lines insist that the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

Please note that the guests traveling with a young infant that does not meet the infant policy will be denied boarding. No refunds or other compensations are normally considered by the cruise lines to guests, if they are denied boarding due to an under age infant.

Pregnancy Policy:

Most of the cruise lines require that in order to cruise the female guests who are pregnant must not have entered in to their 24th week of pregnancy at any time during the cruise sailing. Though the cruise lines will have basic medical facilities with general physicians and nurses, they are not specialists. The pregnant guests are required to carry a "Fit to Travel" certificate issued by a Physician prior to sailing. The letter should state the number of weeks that the pregnant guest would be in at the time of sailing and also state that the guest is in good health fit enough to cruise and not experiencing a high risk pregnancy.

Age Policy:

No person under 21 years of age will be assigned a stateroom unless accompanied by an adult who is over the age of 21 in the same stateroom.  The age limit will be waived for minor children sailing with their parents or guardians in adjacent staterooms and also for underage married couples as long as they provide a proof of marriage at check in.

Onboard the cruise ships there are certain facilities where each entry is restricted by age: All persons using the Spa must be over the age of 18.  The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages is generally 21 on most of the cruise ships. However, a parent sailing with his or her sons or daughters who is between the ages of 18 to 21, may sign a waiver allowing the 18 to 21 year old to consume alcoholic beverages.

Please note that an individual’s age on the date of sailing determines their status for the entire cruise.

Minor Policy:

Any minor who is not traveling with at least one of their parents will only be permitted to board the cruise ship if accompanied by a guest over the age of 21. A written authorization from the parent/legal guardian must be provided at the time of booking for minors aged 17 or under at the start of sailing. This authorization is not required for minors 18, 19 or 20 at the start of the sailing.

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child’s valid passport, applicable visa and an original affirmed or notarized letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents/legal guardians. The notarized letter must authorize the traveling adult to take the minor on the specified cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child which in the opinion of the treating doctor needs to be carried out without delay.

Required Travel Documents for Cruise guests




Like any other holiday, guests need to carry the necessary documents for cruising. All cruise guests must provide proper travel documentation while boarding the ship.  The documentation requirements vary by the nationality and residence of each guest as well as the specific ports that the cruise visits. It is the responsibility of the guests to determine carefully what documentation is required and acquire them before the cruise. Any guest who does not present the required documentation will not be allowed to board the ship and the cruise line will not issue a refund if the guests are denied boarding due to improper / insufficient documentation.

Following is a brief summary of the most common documentation requirements. Please note that these documentation requirements may be subject to change at any time. Therefore the cruise guests must check with the proper authorities for the latest requirements before every cruise.

Passport: A valid passport is required for all international guests including children. It is highly recommended that the guests` passport expiration date is not within 6 months of the last date of sailing.

Visas:  Visas are required for most of the Middle Eastern nationals and residents. The guests need to secure the necessary visas for the country of embarkation as well as for each port of call. Please note that most of the cruises will require multiple entry visas as the ship sails in the international waters and re-enter the port at each port of call. As the visa requirement vary by nationality and the port that the cruise visits, the guests need to check with the respective authorities / embassies each time they cruise for the latest requirements.

Cruise Ticket: The major cruise lines have electronic ticketing procedure. Once guests make the final payment, they will get the confirmation from the cruise line and an electronic ticket with complete details of their specific cruise. The guest can check-in online as this will save them from having to fill out forms at the pier. Once the guests complete their online check-in they get a Set Sail Pass which they need to carry with the other documents for boarding the ship.

Family Legal Documents:

o The name of the parents and the child must be linked through legal documents. If the last names of the parent and minor child traveling with them differ, the parent is required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) together with a certified copy of the child's birth certificate.

o Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa and the child's certified birth certificate together with an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise, must authorize guardian to sign legal documentation/waivers for participation in any onboard activities requiring them and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child.

o If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child.