SeaWaves Cruise News
Royal Caribbean Celebrity Cruises Appoint Goldstein, Hanrahan Brand Presidents
Miami February 23, 2005 - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. appointed two brand presidents today. Adam Goldstein was named president of Royal Caribbean International, and Dan Hanrahan was made president of Celebrity Cruises. Both jobs report to Jack Williams, president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
The creation of brand presidencies under a corporate president and COO reflects the rapid growth and increasing differentiation between the two brands. As senior executives of the brands, Goldstein and Hanrahan will be responsible for fleet operations, sales and marketing, and brand development. In addition, Goldstein will retain the corporate functions of supply chain management and Royal Celebrity Tours, and Hanrahan will continue to handle marketing and sales responsibilities for Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Today’s appointments are effective immediately.
Both Goldstein and Hanrahan are cruise-industry veterans. Goldstein is a 16-year company executive, and Hanrahan is a six-year veteran. Both have been instrumental in shaping the company’s direction and global appeal.
Royal Caribbean’s Executive Vice President (EVP) since 2002, Goldstein has held progressively senior positions at the company in Legal, Sales and Marketing, International, Total Guest Satisfaction (Hotel) and Brand Operations. As EVP, he managed Fleet Operations, Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain Management and Royal Celebrity Tours.
National chairman of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) in 2001, Goldstein now sits on the travel organization’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
Hanrahan has been Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president, Marketing and Sales, since joining the company in 1999. Responsible for brand marketing, marketing automation and company sales, he developed the standout "Get Out There" marketing campaign that many credit with changing the image of cruising. Previously, Hanrahan was vice president and general manager, North America, for Polaroid Corporation, and vice president, Global Marketing, for Reebok International, Ltd.
Currently, Hanrahan serves as vice chairman and Executive Committee member of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). Last year, he was honored as one of the "Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing" by Hospitality and Sales Marketing Association International.
"We are pleased Adam and Dan have accepted these new challenges," Williams said. "Both individuals are exceptional - in their passion for our brands, their vision for the future, and their caring for our employees. Both take on brands that are at tremendously exciting stages of growth, which they will help drive to even greater success."
Plus-Size Women Can Learn to be Runway Models on Week-Long Caribbean Cruise
New York February 24, 2005 - This fall Figure Magazine, the nation's top-selling plus-size fashion magazine, invites its readers to set sail on a week-long Caribbean Sea adventure aboard Carnival Cruise Lines' newest ship, Carnival Valor. This one-of-a-kind trip taking place November 6-13, 2005, will offer plus size women the chance to enjoy a multitude of entertaining and life-enriching activities created just for them -- the highlights to include learning to be a runway model, strutting their stuff at a fashion show extravaganza, and the chance to be discovered as the next Ford Supermodel.
"Every woman has the fantasy of being a runway model," says Amy Vogt, Director of Figure at Sea. "The clothes, the lights, the glamour, the excitement ... these are all the elements we are bringing to real life onboard this luxurious weeklong cruise tailored just for curvy women!"
Figure Magazine, now in its' third year of publication, has partnered with Carnival Cruise Lines to create a fun-filled vacation package exclusively designed for plus-size women. Motivational speakers and fashion industry experts will be onboard conducting seminars focused on special issues including fitness, fashion, women's health, personal beauty tips, and inspirational books. Boarding in Miami, travelers will set sail for seven days stopping at exotic Caribbean destinations including Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Five lucky guests will also win a complete Figure makeover. The week will culminate in a gala event featuring a Figure fashion show where Figure cruise guests will be modeling the latest in plus-size style on the Carnival catwalk.
Included in the week's events are seminars and workshops specifically designed to teach women how to be a model. Former plus-size models and industry experts including Gary Dakin, Director of Ford's 12+ Division at Ford Models, will be on board to give tips on how to start a plus-size modeling career. Women will also be offered onboard classes on how to "walk the runway like a pro."
While aboard Carnival Cruise Lines' newest ship, Carnival Valor, guests can also partake of a multitude of amenities including: gourmet dining; pools and hot tubs; a full fitness center and spa; a casino and nightclub and much more.
Figure at Sea sets sail from November 6-13, 2005 out of Miami, Florida. Readers wishing to participate will receive a promotional discount if they book before April 15th. For more information on the Figure at Sea adventure, please visit http://www.figuremagazine.com/ or call (866) 299-5840.
Figure is a fashion and lifestyle magazine owned and operated by Charming Shoppes, Inc., parent company of Lane Bryant, Catherines Plus Sizes and Fashion Bug with over 2400 stores nationwide. Figure is published six times a year and is geared toward plus-size women and catering to their fashion needs.
Statement from the Petitioners and Legal Counsel in Spector v Norwegian Cruise Line
Washington February 28, 2005 - The following remarks were released by the petitioners and their legal team in "Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line" after oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court today (No. 03-1338):
David George, Edwards & George, LLP, Houston, Texas: "We are confident that the Supreme Court is poised to end the pervasive discrimination faced by cruise line travelers with disabilities. Cruise lines serving U.S. passengers in this country must comply with U.S. law. Flying a foreign flag of convenience is not a license to flout our laws."
Thomas Goldstein, Goldstein & Howe, P.C., Washington, D.C.: "The cruise lines must comply with Congress's decision to guarantee the right of persons with disabilities to participate fully in American life. Under our laws, NCL can no more exclude a passenger in a wheelchair than a passenger who is black or blind. The statute Congress enacted makes sure that ships can comply with both international law and U.S. law."
Douglas Spector, petitioner, Houston, Texas: "We simply asked the cruise lines for what every traveler expects -- access to emergency equipment and to the full range of public facilities. But we paid what essentially were discriminatory ticket premiums and did not receive full access or adequate assistance. The cruise lines aggressively market themselves as American and accessible, but then hide beyond foreign flags when the tough questions are asked. Their obligation to follow the law should not be optional."
Elaine Roberts, Bruckner Burch PLLC, Houston, Texas: "Our clients suffered the exact type of disability discrimination that the ADA prohibits. With nothing to gain personally from this five-year legal fight but the hope for change and public awareness, they have fought through the hardships of litigation made necessary by a multi-billion dollar company that has spared no expense and effort to avoid compliance with the ADA."
Julia Hollenbeck, petitioner, Clarksville, Tennessee: "The Supreme Court's decision will end the indignity, inconvenience and uncertainty that mobility impaired travelers too often endure on cruise ships. That is our ultimate goal with this case. We are committed to seeing cruise ships come into compliance with the ADA."
David Killough, petitioner, Houston, Texas: "The laws of the United States must be evenly applied and enforced. Our sovereignty matters, and no individual or group can simply pick and choose which laws of this nation that they want to obey. I look forward to seeing Title III of the ADA applied to the cruise line industry."
The petitioners are Mr. Spector, Ms. Hollenbeck, Mr. Killough, the late Rodger Peters, and Ana Spector. They are represented by William Bruckner, Rex Burch and Ms. Roberts of Bruckner Burch PLLC; Mr. George, Brady Edwards, Anne Edwards, and Sandra Thourot Krider of Edwards & George, LLP; Mr. Goldstein and Amy Howe of Goldstein & Howe, P.C.; Pamela Karlan, of Stanford, California; and Samuel Bagenstos, of St. Louis, Missouri.
Another Freedom Class Ordered
Miami March 7, 2005 - Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has signed a letter of intent with Aker Finnyards in
Turku, Finland, to add a third ship to its Freedom class of vessels now being
built for Royal Caribbean International. The agreement is subject to certain
conditions, including board approval.
Like the series’ first and second ships, this third Royal Caribbean newbuild
is a 158,000-GRT vessel equipped with 1,800 cabins that accommodate 3,600 guests
double occupancy. It enters service in early 2008, two years after the class
debuts in April, 2006, with Freedom of the Seas.
The company estimates the cost of the third ship, including the contract price
(specified in euros), capitalized interest, owner-delivered items, and
engineering/construction oversight, to be approximately $230,000 per berth, at
current exchange rates.
The Freedom series builds on Royal Caribbean’s five, highly popular
Voyager-class ships—the vessels that introduced rock-climbing, ice-skating and
Royal Promenade into cruising’s vernacular. The ships in this newest
class will be 15 percent larger than those in the Voyager-class, and will have
new features, not yet revealed, also destined to become industry icons.
“We have said all along that the continued success of our brands will depend
on the steady, sustained growth of our fleet,” said Chairman and CEO Richard
Fain, “We are pleased to reaffirm that pledge today, and are excited about the
enormous possibilities inherent in these new ships.”
Royal Caribbean’s newest entrant to its fleet, Jewel of the Seas, its 19th
ship, debuted last Spring. The company ordered Freedom of the Seas in September,
2003.
Pirate-Themed Water Playground Makes Splash at
Lines' Private Destination
Miami February 24, 2005 - A new attraction is changing Royal Caribbean's
exclusive port of call Labadee from a private paradise to a privateer's
paradise. The line has opened a new pirate-themed water playground, sponsored by
The Coca-Cola Company, featuring a "sunken" pirate ship and a new
mascot, Labadee Luc, who will appear on signage throughout the peninsula.
"The new Splash Bash is the perfect addition for guests who want to become pirates of the Caribbean for the day," said Dan Hanrahan, senior vice president, Marketing and Sales, for Royal Caribbean International. "With Labadee's buccaneer past, the Labadee Luc character and the water park's pirate theme will spark imaginations and add to the enjoyment of our private paradise."
Labadee Luc's Splash Bash drips, drizzles and drenches
with ground geysers, toppling water buckets, and water archways. Would-be
pirates can stage mock battles with four water cannons mounted on the
climb-aboard ship and connected wharf, or follow the splash pad's painted-on
treasure map trail.
The Splash Bash also features a special play area for kids ages 3 to 5 with a
central pipe that sends water into three separate play areas with dams, water
wheels and other fun activities designed to keep young children captivated.
Admission to the new water playground is $5 per guest for a two-hour period.
After getting soaked at the Splash Bash, guests can dry
off during hot competition on one of two new volleyball courts or relax in the
shade on the spectator bleachers. Plenty of beach chairs also are available for
weary buccaneers who want to bask in the sun.
The new Splash Bash and volleyball courts are the latest additions to the
abundant activities available at Labadee. The exclusive port of call also offers
an Aqua Park with inflatable, floating challenges, including rock-climbing
walls, balance logs and trampolines; snorkeling amidst exotic marine life; kayak
and WaveRunner(r) tours; banana boat rides; and parasailing.
Located on the mountainous, secluded north coast of Hispaniola, Labadee is a
260-acre wooded peninsula that features five spectacular beaches, nature trails,
open-air dining areas, beachside bars, native entertainment and a marketplace
complete with fine arts and crafts.