We just attended an industry briefing with Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support & Services Celebrity Cruises and her special guest Richard Fain, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Group.
Before we get to today's chat, we'd like to personally thank Royal Caribbean Group and Richard Fain in particular, for his leadership and constantly keeping their travel partners updated throughout the entire pandemic crisis. His videos, communications, and guest appearances on weekly briefings from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises has been crucial to our ability to keep our guests updated on latest developments.
Dondra began the chat by thanking Richard for joining us and for his continued communications throughout the pandemic. She then asked him if he would have done anything differently. Richard said it's important to "look forward and not back".
He said that he knew that communication would be key. He knew that people wanted to know what they were thinking and transparency was key. He feels he got great value from the communication because it forced him to think about where they were going.
He cited the creation of the Healthy Sail Panel with experts in many fields was a critical step in the return to service.
Celebrity Edge Returns to Service
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| An Emotional Return to Service on Celebrity Edge |
Next Dondra asked him about his experience on the first sailing of Celebrity Edge as it returned to service. Richard said "it was a very emotional moment". He was onboard one day before passengers, essentially alone with the crew. As crew greeted him, they were in tears.
Day 2 of his time onboard, they greeted the first guest which again was very emotional. The passengers on this first sailing included Celebrity's most loyal guests, trade and press, and Royal Caribbean employees.
The consensus of the guests was that it was an emotional moment, but also it felt so normal.
Continual Improvement - Not a "New Normal"
Many protocols are behind the scenes, such as the improved ventilation systems and enhanced medical facilities. Guests don't even notice the difference. With the enhanced protocols we could live life normally.
He acknowledged that there have been isolated cases, but it has been better than you'll find across the United States today. The reason for that is that they control the environment. Guests are fully vaccinated, social distancing is possible while still allowing for a great vacation experience. It's one of the safest vacations you can take today.
2021 - 2022 Sailings Open for Booking
This is a unique time in the history of the cruise industry. The industry has always put health and safety first, but with the new protocols, they have taken it to new heights. The industry will be better for the improvements made to date and those that will follow.
Ships are sailing with fewer passengers allowing for an even more personal experience as the happy crew are eager to provide the best vacation experience possible. Why not check out some of the current offers below and let us plan your next cruise vacation?
I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.
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