Tag Archives: Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Aiming for Return to Normality, Strong 2023

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Jason Liberty, President and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, shared some insight on the company’s deployment and sourcing plans for the upcoming year.

Speaking on Thursday’s third-quarter earnings call, he revealed hopes for a return to normality in 2023, focusing on a strong U.S. market.

“While we are still early in our planning cycle, 2023 is shaping up to be a strong year for the company and in the return to normal, typical business,” Liberty said.  

“Our overall capacity will grow 14 per cent compared to 2019 on account of ten new ships which have joined or will join the fleet across our brands during this period,” he added, noting that the growth will be achieved despite previous ship disposals.

Liberty also said that deployment across markets is “relatively unchanged” compared to 2019 with the Caribbean representing just over half of the overall deployment and Europe with almost 20 per cent.

“Asia is in the low single digits, with no planned deployment in the high-yielding China market,” he said.

About 18 per cent of the U.S. population is within driving distance to a U.S. homeport, Liberty added, with the “Short Caribbean” product upsized by 35 per cent compared to 2019.

Perfect Day at CocoCay has also been an important part of the deployment, with 65 per cent of the guests sailing on Royal Caribbean International’s Caribbean itineraries in 2023 set to visit the private destination in the Bahamas. The number of calls is up 30 per cent from 2019, he said.

“We expect almost 80 per cent of 2023 guest sourcing to come from North America as we continue to see particularly strong demand from that customer,” Liberty said.

Royal Caribbean’s multi-brand strategy also allows for efficient guest sourcing around the world, he added.

“Our global brands’ appeal and nimble source model allows us to attract the highest yielding guest and partially mitigate the impact from a strong dollar.”

Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings to Switch to 100% Cage-Free Eggs

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Norwegian Star arriving into Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings has announced its plans to source 100 per cent cage-free eggs globally by the end of 2025. 

The global cruise company operating Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Sea Cruises, has planned a timeline which includes sourcing 25 per cent of cage-free eggs from U.S. suppliers in 2022, 50 per cent from global suppliers in 2023, 75% from global suppliers in 2025, and 100 per cent from global suppliers by the end of 2025. 

“We applaud Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings for publicly publishing their global cage-free implementation plans. As the demand for cage-free eggs increases worldwide, cage-free is becoming the industry standard. Other hospitality companies like Millennium Hotels and Langham Hospitality Group need to follow NCLH’s lead or risk losing business,” said Jennie Hunter, Senior Campaigns Coordinator, at The Open Wings Alliance.

The decision comes following a cage-free campaign steered by the Open Wing Alliance, which aims to create a unified front for ending the abuse of chickens worldwide. The Open Wing Alliance is a global coalition initiated by The Humane League and includes 93 animal protection organizations from 67 countries worldwide.

In 2021, two other cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean have made similar commitments and have published their implementation plans for sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025. 

As consumer demand for cage-free eggs continues to grow, companies worldwide are announcing their plans for cage-free commitments.

Over 100 companies, including some of the biggest corporations around the world, have made such commitments to switch to cage-free systems including Nestlé, Aldi, InterContinental Hotels, Sodexo, Kraft Heinz, Compass Group, Shake Shack, Famous Brands, Costa Coffee, Burger King, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, Unilever, and Barilla.

Royal Caribbean Returns to Thailand

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The Spectrum of the Seas from Royal Caribbean is featuring longer sailings, and more of Southeast Asia to explore in the coming months as she will embark on cruises with Phuket featuring as one the core stops on four- to seven-night cruises, joining popular destinations like Penang and Port Klang in Malaysia.

Sailings are open to book on Royal Caribbean’s website.

“Thailand is hugely popular with our guests from Singapore – its distinctive food, culture and welcoming locals have made the country a destination of choice for many, and we are thrilled to be able to visit Phuket again so travellers can fully experience the wonders and rich heritage of the Southeast Asian region,” said Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International. “

Thailand’s travel and tourism industries can anticipate a lift from the weekly sailings Spectrum is scheduled to deliver into Phuket. We continue to work closely with governments in the region to connect our guests with new destinations, adventures, and experiences, and to become a gateway for fly-cruisers from around the globe looking to experience the spice of Southeast Asia.”

“As Thailand’s largest island, Phuket is the pearl of the Andaman Sea, with her magnificent beaches,  beautiful sunsets at Phromthep Cape and spectacular local culture and lifestyle. Tourists also love the distinct local architecture and row houses that speak to Sino-Portuguese influence, which today house museums, boutique hotels and cafes. Phuket’s famous cultural shows, as well as the Phuket Fantasy theme park which combines Thai arts and culture with cutting-edge light and sound, shows altogether make for a memorable experience for visitors to the island,” said Governor Narong Woonsiew, Governor of Phuket, Thailand.

Photo: Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International, and His Excellency, Narong Wun Siew, the Governor of Phuket, doing the exchanges as part of the plaque and key ceremony in recognition of the return of cruise tourism in Phuket, Thailand.