An insight into the world of cruising...
Royal Caribbean Celebrates 50 Million Guests - Thank you from Adam Goldstein - President & CEO (Royal Caribbean International®)
Dear Friends,
It is with great pride that I share our most recent Royal Caribbean International® milestone. This summer we welcomed our 50 millionth guest onboard our ships.
Since 1968 we have strived as a company to deliver unparalleled vacation experiences to our guests, and today we pause to reflect on what reaching this milestone means. First and foremost, it means we have phenomenal guests. Thank you for trusting us with your precious vacations. We understand we have an enormous responsibility to uphold each time you cruise with us, and rest assured that this is our number one priority. Your support and feedback is the inspiration behind everything we do, and the reason why we won’t settle at good enough.
It also means that we have the most talented, passionate, and dedicated crew and employees in the business. Not just today, but every day, we have cause to celebrate because the men and women at Royal Caribbean go above and beyond to provide our guests with Gold Anchor ServiceSM and deliver the WOW. I’m honored to work alongside such hard working and inspiring professionals.
Marking our 50 millionth guest also means that the travel agent community believes in us. Simply stated, thank you. We would not have gotten here without you and we believe that your partnership is our most valuable industry asset and a crucial part of our success.
As we look ahead, the future is bright. We have been fortunate over the years to consistently be recognized by Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel Weekly and the World Travel Awards as the best in the travel industry, and are dedicated to exceeding that level of expectation. We guarantee that the next 50 million guests will experience more WOWs filled with innovations, outstanding service and more amazing destinations that only Royal Caribbean International® can deliver.
This milestone kicks off a year-long celebration of WOW. We invite you to share your WOW moments and simply tag all your great stories #ROYALWOW.
Many thanks to you all,
Adam Goldstein
President & CEO
Royal Caribbean International®
Interview with Captain Johannes Tysse, Azamara Club Cruises
It was almost a foregone conclusion that Johannes Tysse would be a
sea captain. Learn how the job he dreamed about from an early age is a
platform for creating unforgettable experiences for Azamara guests.
Q: Where did you grow up?
I was raised on a small island outside of Bergen, Norway. I knew at a
very early age what I wanted to do and what I wanted to become. By the
time I was five years old, I wanted to be captain of a ship, though I
wasn’t necessarily thinking of a cruise ship. I just wanted to be at sea. My inspiration was my dad, who told me stories about times my grandpa went to America and crossed the Atlantic on ocean liners. I loved those stories of how the ship encountered storms, and how my grandpa got to meet the captain…so my very young mind was just filled with images of grandpa sailing across the Atlantic. Back then, as a little boy, the ocean was something that was mysterious and seemed dangerous, you know, being out there on the ocean and not being able to see land. My mom said the first drawing I ever drew was of boats and ships…and during arts and crafts, all I did was make wooden boat models.
Living on an island, we’d go to Bergen on the ferry. (Our island wasn’t connected by a bridge until the late 1990s.) If my dad knew the skippers on the ferries, I wouldn’t leave him alone unless he took me to the bridge. For me, getting up there with the skipper was like walking on Cloud 9.
Q: Sounds like you spent a lot of time dreaming about and imagining the life you live now.
I’m the oldest of six, four boys and then two girls. At one point all my younger brothers followed my footsteps and went to sea. My mother said she didn’t know what she did wrong to have four boys who all went to sea. Now they all work shoreside except for me.Q: How did you become captain on a cruise ship?
I first went to sea in June of 1983 when I was still 16. I needed
both of my parents’ signatures to leave the country. I flew to New York,
joined a tanker and sailed around the world at 16. That may seem young,
but we had a different school system in Norway. We had longer school
years, so you were done with the equivalent of Junior High School at age
fifteen. From there you could decide if you wanted to specialize. I was
interested in seaman apprenticeship school. I did that for a year, and
almost the day after I finished, I was on a plane to New York, where I
became deck hand on a tanker. Then I entered and did my service time in
the Norwegian Navy, where I got my lowest level deck officer license.
Followed by a job as Skipper on a local ferry after getting out of the
Navy, and from there to the Marine Academy. I held various other
positions with different companies, working on ferries, tankers and
cruise ships before joining Azamara as captain in 2010.Q: Where do you live now?
I live in Charleston, South Carolina, with my wife. She’s a port
agent and also works in a travel agency. She worked for eight years at
sea as a hostess, so she knows the business. We’ll celebrate our 14th
anniversary this month. We met on a Windstar cruise in 1990 when I was a
young second officer on my first cruise ship, and she was cruising with
her mother and sister. We didn’t speak much on the cruise, but I
noticed her. She was still in college, but her older sister had just
graduated. I spoke with her mother a few times, who was interested in
boating and sailing, and was a second generation Norwegian with
relatives in Norway. So after the cruise my future wife (the youngest
daughter) wrote me a nice note, and of course I remembered her, so I
wrote back. We started writing, calling, and about four years later we
became a couple. That was when she started working on cruise ships, so
it was a real long distance relationship. We were engaged on January 12,
1998. Exactly one year later, on Jan 12, 1999, we were both in the
Panama Canal at the same time, on two different ships. I could see her
on the deck with binoculars, but of course it was so far away. We were
married later that year in Norway…on a day that surpassed the old rain
record from 1861.Q: How do you relax, stay fit and on top of your game at sea?
I should go to the gym but really don’t do it very regularly…I’m kind of on-and-off with that. Many guests ask, what’s the secret to keeping slim when you’re spending half the year onboard with such great food. I just try to eat healthy food, and that’s not hard with all the choices we have. I try not to clean my plate completely; maybe that’s what makes the difference. I also take the staircases on the ship, not the elevator, because the staff elevators often stop at every deck. So the stairs help keep the weight off, too.
Q: Yes, the stairs…I’ll have to remember that next time I’m onboard! How do you spend your free time at sea?
I don’t watch TV. Sometimes I just read magazines or books to relax
after long hours of work…I also have various meetings and discussions
with staff and crew. And I spend a lot of time on the ship chatting with
and meeting our guests, frequently at Windows or Mosaic Cafe. Being on a
small ship is much more intimate than the big ones. You get to know
people, and it’s nice when they come back time and again. You also get
feedback about the good things we’re doing and what we can do better.
Q: What are some of the positive comments you’ve heard?
I hear the same thing over and over. The number-one comment from guests is about the crew, how they love their friendliness, their smiles, their attitudes and how well they work with each other. Many guests have sailed with our competitors, and they say the crew really makes a difference. And they like the visibility of Azamara officers onboard our ships compared to many other cruise ships out there.In terms of requests, another thing I hear a lot is that guests want us to sail the waters of Australia and New Zealand. Every time we have a Q&A we get asked that. It’s a nonstop repeat request. I tell our guests if you want that, just book another cruise, and another one after that, and pretty soon we’ll get another ship and get you there. The sooner you book another cruise, the sooner we’ll be in Australia!
Q: What are some of your own favorite ports?
I like the smaller, more intimate ports the bigger ships can’t get
into, either because the ports are physically too small or because the
number of guests onboard the big ships would overwhelm the place. These
are unique places, like sailing up to Seville and docking right
downtown. We are the biggest ship that docks there. Also docking in my
hometown of Bergen, in the heart of town near the fish market. It gives
guests a very different view when you dock close to the heart of town.
Bordeaux is like that too, and you’re just minutes away from the shops
and restaurants. Or docking in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
downtown—it’s a slow four minute shuttle bus drive to the famous Rex
Hotel. You don’t get any closer than that. Same as in Bangkok. We dock
downtown, and from what I’ve heard it’s a two-hour bus ride each way on
the other ships.Q: What are some of your most memorable voyages?
There are a few that come to mind. One was in Iceland in 2010. When we left Rejkjavik I asked the pilot if he could show me some good fishing banks off the coast. Earlier I had called our CEO, Larry Pimentel, and asked if we could fish from the ship. He said he would check it out, and then advised me to “Proceed with caution.” My wife was on that voyage, so we went ashore and bought fishing gear. When we departed I told the guests we would go out for about an hour and a half and then try to get some fresh fish for dinner. I don’t think too many of them believed me, but it got a good laugh. But the ones that did, they were up on the deck and their balconies, watching as we caught about 50 or 60 pounds of fish in an hour and half from the tender platform. Nobody wanted to touch the fish, of course, so I got the job of cleaning it. Our chefs served it as catch of the day from our specialty restaurants. Straight from the sea into the pot!
The year before last, Sir Roger Moore—the Roger Moore of James Bond
fame—was on board with his wife. His wife is Swedish and he commented on
how she loved brown cheese and goat cheese. In fact a number of guests
were asking about Norwegian goat cheese. So I got the idea after we left
Flåm on the Norwegian coast to stop at a little village known for its
goat cheese production. The entire village has 100 inhabitants and 500
goats, along with the smallest church in Scandinavia, with 40 seats. I
asked the Hotel Director, Heike, if she had money to buy some cheese. So
the executive chef and the safety officer went ashore with the rescue
boat and bought 12 pounds of goat cheese and some smoked lamb sausage.
When they came out of the store and held up the bags, all the guests
watching from the ship were clapping and cheering from the decks and
balconies. We served it for breakfast the next morning at the buffet,
and it was all gone in a couple of hours. A couple of days later it was
on the front page of the regional newspaper in the Sognefjord: Cruise
ship stops to buy goat cheese.On that same trip we stopped to buy fresh seafood. We left Bergen at 6:30 in the evening. An uncle of mine had a cabin a few hours north of Bergen. So I knew there were local fishermen on the island, and asked my uncle if he know any who could deliver fresh seafood and crabs. I got in touch with one of them and he came out with his fishing boat, we stopped in the middle of the fjord and loaded up with fresh salmon, codfish, and 350 live stone crabs and live langoustine. So the chef made a special appetizer out of the stone crab claws and specialty dish out of the langoustine. Again, that’s something guests come back and talk about.
Being able to do special things like that…it leaves memories, and our guests go home and share the Azamara experience with friends and family. And compared to many other cruise ships, these experiences are unique.
Last year we were at Seven Sisters waterfall in the Geirangerfjord. Other cruise ships just go by at cruising speed while heading for the next port. We stopped for half an hour, then did a 360-degree turn so guests on all sides could get a look. Being with a small cruise line like we are, and having a CEO like Larry Pimentel who gives us a bit of freedom, we are able to do things like this. When we see special opportunities we plan accordingly with our home office and local authorities to make them happen.
And there’s spontaneous fun onboard, too. One night I walked through the specialty restaurants and a guest made a joke about “How come I don’t get to see the sunset on this side?” So when I finished greeting guests and got back to the bridge, I made an announcement that all guests should see the sunset, then did a slow 360 degree turn so they did. They still come back and talk about that. And for the rest of the voyage I had guests coming up and saying, I’ve been on 35, 50 or 70 cruises and never had anything like this happen. Our guests love these personal touches.
Q: The sense of community that people talk about on Azamara, and the
open friendliness of staff and crew… how do you encourage that and play
a role in making it happen?
For me it starts with being approachable. In the old school, some
captains look up only to themselves, and you don’t get much time with
the captain unless you’re being reprimanded. We’re not like that. I’ll
chat with the guys washing pots in the kitchen, or go to the crew mess
and have lunch with them. I’ll sometimes go to the division meetings. I
want staff and crew to be able to come to me or their supervisor
directly if they have issues on the ship or something’s happening at
home. It’s an open door, and I—and really our whole crew—want to be
helpful with big or small issues. They know I’m available along with the
rest of the senior management onboard, and that makes a difference. It
leads to a staff and crew that’s relaxed, not stiff, and focused on
doing the best possible job.
Q: What are your favorite foods onboard?
Almost every night they have a special in Windows Cafe—I love the Indian food. The Indian chefs are proud of their cooking skills and put their heart and soul into it. I love the sushi up there, too, and in general the variety we have at Windows Cafe is wonderful. I have favorite dishes in our specialty restaurants, but it would be hard to choose. And I love the smoothie bar. And I have a terrible sweet tooth. I like chatting with guests in the Mosaic while enjoying those incredible macaroons.Q: What’s your motto or creed you live by personally? A philosophy of life, or something that guides your leadership style?
I came here three years ago as captain, straight from the outside, and as one way of communicating my leadership style I started sending out daily quotes—they could be inspirational, funny or uplifting. I had a set of 29 quotes, and had managers print them and post them. I heard back from a number of people, “I love your quotes,” and thought, well then, I’ll do some more. So I came back onboard after my first vacation and asked the crew to send me their favorite quotes, too. I tagged their names to them when I posted them.So that’s been my thing. Once a year I repeat the 29 that I first sent out. Here’s one of my favorites: Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders. To me it means if someone does a good job you don’t take the credit, and you don’t shy away from blame when things go wrong. Basically put your people out there and give them credit for a job well done, and don’t get down on them when something goes wrong. Lessons learned are important; instead of an “I did” or “You did” culture, we work as a team.
Q: How would you characterize Azamara guests?
Very mixed in terms of nationalities. On my current voyage, we have
25 different guest nationalities. The most we’ve had are 38
nationalities on one cruise. If it’s less than 15 or 20 nationalities
onboard, it’s unusual. Most of our guests are well traveled. They’ve
cruised a lot. But about 20 percent of our guests have never cruised
before. And they choose us because of more time in port, the overnights,
and in general because we have a great reputation.
Q: What’s your favorite onshore nightlife?
If I had to pick my favorite idea of relaxing nightlife, I’d choose dining outside on the piazza in Sorrento. I do that when my wife is with me onboard. There’s fantastic food on the Amalfi Coast and that kind of experience is very relaxing for me.A different kind of cruise line
Azamara Club Cruises
Larry Pimentel has seen a lot of water under the bridge. Literally and figuratively.
As past CEO of Seabourn, Sea Dream Yacht Club, and Cunard, the veteran travel industry exec has helmed some of the most storied names in cruising. So when Royal Caribbean Cruises lured him out of retirement in 2009 to head its new Azamara Club Cruises brand, he demanded carte blanche to create something the cruise industry hadn’t seen before. And he has.
How is Azamara different? Three things, really: longer stays in port, more overnight stays, and unusual itineraries that include ports that other cruise ships pass by.
For example, on a recent 12-night voyage from Edinburgh, Scotland to Southampton, England, the Azamara Journey spent two nights in Dublin and two-and-a-half days in Rouen, France, which it reached by a fascinating six hour cruise up and down the Seine. On this voyage, the ship stopped at such unlikely, and un-touristy, places as the Orkney Islands and Portree (I had never heard of it either—it’s on the Isle of Skye). Needless to say, we were the only ships in port most of the time, which added to the sense of being somewhere special, far from the crowds. To get a sense of some of the unusual ports that Azamara’s two ships visit, check out this partial list.
I’m embarrassed to say that there are at least 20 that I’ve never even heard of, let alone visited.
The advantage for you, the passenger, is that with these “longer stay” itineraries you can spend a night (or two) pub-crawling in Dublin, or do an overnight to Paris even though you’ve docked in Rouen, just a short train ride away. What fun is visiting a favourite port on a Greek isle or on the Amalfi Coast and not sampling a meal in a buzzed-about local restaurant or hanging out at the town’s hot new disco? Whereas the typical cruise ship steams out of town at 5 or 6 p.m., Azamara lingers. And lingers. You might not set sail until midnight. Or 2 a.m. Or you might spend the entire night.
By the way, all the other elements of luxury cruising are in place on Azamara. There are two “specialty” restaurants, which cost an extra $25 to dine in but are well worth it, plus free wine selections with lunch and dinner. Tips are included. The spa is lovely and the fitness center’s equipment is new. And the staff has been well trained to engage guests with friendly “good mornings” and “good evenings” when you pass them in the hallways or on deck. I sometimes think that a few guests might get tired of being cheerily greeted each time they encounter a member of the crew onboard, especially if they themselves aren’t in a cheery mood, but it’s a sign of careful training that staff are instructed to greet passengers. Returning to the ship, the security officers seem sincere when they check your key card and say, “welcome home.”
Many of my friends avoid cruising altogether because they think it’s not “destination-immersive” enough or they don’t want to be “trapped” onboard. So Azamara might be just the thing for them. I love “days at sea,” just looking at the ocean, but it’s not for everyone.
Why, you might ask, don’t all cruise lines spend more time in port? Well, as Pimentel explains, it’s pretty simple: when ships are in port, the law requires that casinos and retail outlets on board remain closed. And if guests are boozing it up on shore, they’re not visiting the ship’s bars or the spa, all of which are revenue centres (in fact, some cruise lines probably lose money on those $350 four night cruise fares you sometimes see, but make all their profits on these “extras”). And the more nights in port, the more the ship pays in fees to the port. But after running cruise lines for over 20 years, Pimentel decided the industry needed to be rethought. And it seems to be working.
Oh, and one final Azamara distinction: some sailings offer cabins for solo travellers at just a 25 percent premium over the double-occupancy fare (most cruise lines charge single passengers 100 percent, i.e. double, so that’s a huge savings if you’re travelling alone).
Published August 16, 2012 | FoxNews.com
By George Hobica
Royal Caribbean hosts world`s largest Travel Agency Appreciation Day
ROYAL CARIBBEAN hosts world’s
largest
travel agency appreciation day
Loyal to You Always emphasises past, present and future dedication
to travel partners
Loyal to You
Always is part of Royal Caribbean’s year-round campaign to provide support,
training and loyalty to travel agents around the world. In the Middle East, the
company provides regional support through its hub in Dubai.
Lakshmi Durai,
Executive Director Middle East, said Royal Caribbean Arabia had been providing
support, training and assistance in the region for more than 17 years. “We have
a number of initiatives and programmes that show our loyalty to travel agents,
which helps them not only sell more cruises and increase their profits, but
build valuable relationships.
“We offer the
travel agents the opportunity to visit the ships when they are in Dubai, so
they get to see what a cruise holiday is all about. Every year, we take them on
board for the Seminar at Sea to give them a firsthand experience of a cruise
holiday, which helps the agents to sell Royal Caribbean cruise products
effectively. We also have a very interactive online training programme called
Cruising for Excellence, which helps our travel partners to learn more about
our cruises and what we offer.”
In addition, the
sales team in the Dubai representative office offers one-to-one training and
presentations for travel agents throughout the year and provides ongoing
reservation support through its help desk.
Ms Durai said
Loyal to You Always would enable the company to emphasise its support structure
and loyalty to travel agents, while also offering them bonus commission to book
cruises on Thursday, June 7th.
“Loyal to You Always is built on four principles: personal interaction
and support; valuable resources that get results; increasing profits for travel
agents; and award-winning travel agent education and development programmes,”
she said.
Recognising the
valuable role travel agents play in the company’s success, Loyal to You Always
offers agents up to US$100 in bonus commission per stateroom for cruises aboard
Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.
With Royal
Caribbean’s ongoing fleetwide revitalisation and enhancements, the cruise line
is helping to drive customer demand and superior guest satisfaction, which
reinforces client loyalty and repeat business. Royal Caribbean is investing
more than US$100 million over the next five years on its internal reservation
system and automation tools to help travel agents sell cruises more easily and
service their clients more effectively by leveraging the latest technologies.
Wedding & Romance at Sea!
Wedding is one of the most important & memorable event in everyone’s life. A cruise ship is a perfect location for a memorable wedding. Cruise weddings can take place onboard in a public room, a lounge or Wedding Chapel on the ship or on a romantic shore such as a beach, a glacier or any other destination of guest’s choice. Your can choose to have the wedding in one of the ports & then sail off on a honeymoon!
Most of the major cruise lines offer different wedding packages for different budgets and wedding party sizes. The Cruise lines now have a variety of services to help your guests plan a shipboard or shore side ceremony which could be combined with a romantic cruise honeymoon.
Planning a cruise wedding is very simple & hassle free. The major cruise lines have dedicated wedding coordinators to help with all arrangements including floral arrangements, table linens, photography, music, cake and special menus to make your wedding a unique event. Some will even help the guests to obtain wedding licenses or provide invitations and thank you notes. In addition, the coordinators also handle all the extras from tuxedo rental to hair and spa appointments. The Cruise Wedding experience will make your wedding extra special. Being the most exciting time of life, the guests can relax enjoying the activities onboard the cruise ship, while the wedding coordinator takes care of every details of this special day.
An onboard wedding can be a great value as well. The price range of a shipboard wedding is just like one ashore ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands. You need to consult the cruise specialists to select the best package. The options of arranging Cruise Weddings are endless. With Cruise Weddings you can be sure that your dreams will fit well into your budget.
Is cruising expensive?
One of the biggest concerns people have while planning a vacation is the total cost. On a cruise vacation, the food, accommodation, entertainment and most of the activities are included in the fare. This makes it easy for the vacationers to stick to their budget.
The cruise cost depends upon when the guest cruise, the ship they choose, the cabin category and how far in advance they make their reservation. In addition to the fabulous cuisine, world class entertainment, plenty of activities on board a floating resort, on a cruise holiday the guests also get to visit many different ports of call. It’s an amazing fact that the guests just unpack once and settle in for a journey that takes them anywhere they want to go. If you consider everything that is included in the cruise fare, you will realize that cruising is the vacation with best value for money. It's an incredible value that cannot be matched by any other vacation package.
The families and couples could travel and make wonderful memories within a small budget. Although the cruise fare includes a lot, there are certain elements that are charged separately on a cruise like alcohol and soft drinks, shore excursions, spa treatments, tips, laundry services, medical treatment, babysitting, Internet access and some specialty coffees and pastries. When you factor in all of the costs that the guest will incur on a land vacation as well as the great deals they could find on cruise vacation, you will discover that they can actually save money by booking a cruise as opposed to a land-based vacation.The bottom line is guests can set a budget, watch what they spend and have great time on a cruise holiday.
Night life onboard a Cruise ship
Cruise ships offer an array of night life from Broadway-style shows to discos and dancing as long as the guests want, even until the sunrise at sea. At night, life aboard a cruise ship really turns on with dancing, live entertainment, discos and lounges, feature films and parties with all new friends and shipmates. There are also special events like the Captain's Cocktail Party, Talent Night, the Parade, and the Late Night Buffet.
The new generation cruise ships have a groundbreaking approach to entertainment. Rather than one single production theater show holding almost the entire guest in two seating, the new ships offer a variety of entertainment venues throughout the ship, some featuring high-tech productions at pre-set show times and others appealing to more interactive audiences such as disco dancing hot spot, urban style comedy clubs, the live jazz music venues, the karaoke venue, the piano sing-along entertainment and many more.
The guests can also indulge in other gaming activities in the elegant & stylish gaming rooms on many cruise ships. Alternatively the guests can simply stroll around the ship and enjoy the diverse & engaging entertainment activities in different venues like the night clubs, pubs and bars. For more strolling, there is Central Park with real plants and trees on the world’s biggest Oasis class of ships. At night Central park will be alive with lights and stars above.
The night life on board remains active and buzzing into the small hours. There is also a full range of night-time entertainment for children to keep them busy. Some cruise lines offer baby sitting service for the younger ones allowing the parents to enjoy the night life on board the floating resorts.
Port Days
In addition to enjoying the activities and facilities on board a cruise ship, the fun of cruising also include exploring new & exciting destinations each day. The cruise ships sail mostly over night and every day guests wake up in new destinations with a different view.
Mostly the ship will be at each port for around 8 to 9 hours and the guests will be excited to see so much in so little time. Hence, for the guests to get the most out of their days at port, they need to plan their shore excursions in advance.
There are plenty of options at different port ranging from sightseeing city tours, exploring the ancient historical cities, hiking on glaciers, snorkeling through coral reefs to shopping at local markets. The cruise lines offer varieties of organized shore excursions for each port of call for an additional charge - some are activity based trips & some are sightseeing bus tours; some are full day tours & some are just for few hours; some are guided tours while some bring the guests to the destination and give them free time to explore until it’s time to go back to the ship; some focus on the highlights of many activities while some focus on one activity in depth.
The guests can either book their shore excursions through the cruise line or arrange the tours through private operators. Alternatively the guests can also choose to explore the port city on their own. The ship sponsored tours can be either booked on board at the Shore Excursions desk or can be booked on line before cruising. By booking the ship-sponsored tours, you can avoid the hassle of arranging your own tours at each port and can also avoid worrying about reaching the ship in time as the ship will not depart until all of its tour buses have returned. If guests are exploring the destination on their own, they need to make sure that they return before the time the ship is scheduled to leave the port. The ship will not wait for any one as there will be plenty of other guests waiting to proceed to their next destination.
It’s fun to explore the various exciting ports around the world – so plan well & enjoy!
Days at Sea!
Some new cruisers tend to book port intensive cruises as they may think that Sea days are nothing more than travel days and so could be boring. On the other hand, the experienced cruisers often look for itineraries having more sea days as they have learned that the sea days are their day to unwind and do as little or as much as they want.
The cruise ships offer plenty of onboard activities that the guests get to experience and enjoy during their days at sea. The activity addicts can climb a rock wall, skate in the ice rink, surf on a FlowRider, zip over the Zip line, play sports like basket ball, table tennis, mini golf etc. and indulge in many more activities on board newer and bigger ships.
There are also lots of games and group fun activities conducted by the Cruise Director and staffs on board. Depending on the cruise line, there may be different contests and assorted pool games including Bingo. Some times, there is even “Win a Cruise” Bingo where the top winner gets a free cruise! The guests can also participate in trivia contests throughout the cruise, there will surely be one or two during the days at sea.
The music lovers will find entertainment of different kinds all over the ship, usually found in the discos, pool side and themed club venues. There are lots of music from light classical to pop to country to Caribbean steel drums and more…. there's definitely something for everyone!
You can simply hang out, relax and just do what you want on a Sea Day!
o Sleep in, get comfortable in your stateroom and read a good book or watch a movie on TV.
o Get up early and watch a sunrise at sea from the balcony or from the very top deck of the ship.
o Take a swim in the pool or enjoy a little sun with a book on the pool chairs.
o Enjoy a leisurely lunch in one of the many dining venues on board the ship.
o Sit at a table by a window in any of the lounges and enjoy the company of shipmates.
o Explore the ship, stroll through the shops on board and view the artwork hung all around.
o Peruse the selections in the ship's library.
o Or simply take a luxurious nap!
It is important to check out the daily bulletin to know what is available at which venue on board. What ever you desire, the days at sea can be exactly as you want!
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
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.
What to wear on a cruise ship?
Which clothes to pack for a cruise is simpler than you think. Dressing with comfort and style is important for any cruise trip! Cruisers look forward to relax, enjoy and take part in hundreds of activities available on today's major cruise lines. It’s important for the guests to know what to wear on board a cruise ship & here are some tips!
Day wear on board: Resort casual cruise wear is the primary suggested attire aboard most major cruise lines as cruise ships today have very informal environments. Resort casual wear is perfectly acceptable during the day as well as during informal evenings.
Casual day wear can include anything from your bathing suit and a t-shirt to a pair of Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt. Shorts, t-shirts, slacks, trousers, casual skirts, blouses and sundresses are all perfect during the day.
For lounging by the pool, the guests need to pack bathing suits and a pair of flip-flops or sandals. They will also need some casual shorts and a couple of t-shirts or a cover-up for getting to and from the pool areas.
Day wear on shore: For warm weather cruises to destinations like the Caribbean, the Bahamas, South America, Hawaii, etc, guests will generally need all of the typical summertime essentials including swimwear, shorts, short-sleeved shirts, sandals, sneakers, etc. Guests will also need comfortable walking shoes, as well as a hat and sunscreen for protection from the sun. For touring any museums, cathedrals or churches it's always wise to dress conservatively.
For cruises to destinations with cooler and varying weather conditions from day to day like Alaska, Europe, and Canada/New England, guests will need to consider bringing at least a pair of long pants, a jacket, a raincoat and a warm sweater.
Dinner Attire: The evening dress standards aboard cruise ships are classier than in most resorts. The evening wear in the main dining could be formal or informal / smart casual.
Formal: Depending on the length of the cruise, there will be at least 1 or 2 evenings that are designated as formal nights. The cruise documents will have exact details on how many formal nights there will be so the guests can be prepared.
A typically cruise formal wear is anything that you would wear to any fine dining restaurant. Most men opt to wear either a tuxedo or nice dark suit and tie. Tuxedo rentals are available aboard most cruise ships. Women will generally wear anything from a simple cocktail dress, to an elaborate, glittering ball gown. The degree to which you choose to dress on formal nights is entirely up to the guests.
Informal / Smart casual: Informal also called smart casuals sometimes. This is the dress code on many ships on the days that are not formal nights. The evening dress code is informal except for formal night. For men, informal is a jacket and collared shirt / slacks, perhaps a tie. For women it could be any attractive evening outfit, a dress or a pant suit.
There are guests that are not interested in getting dressed up on formal night. It is important to remember that formal cruise wear evenings are always optional. Most major cruise ships today offer 24-7 casual dining options that are always available for all those anti-formal night guests.
Many cruise ships may also have one "themed" night especially on longer itineraries & participation in these special nights is entirely voluntary.
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