Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean’s Chairman and former CEO, is sharing some of the most dramatic, nail-biting moments throughout the cruise line’s history in his new book.

His new book is titled Delivering the WOW: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Success and will be released on October 21, 2025. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Fain’s book, which is packed with juicy secrets from Royal Caribbean’s history.

Fain served as Royal Caribbean's CEO for more than three decades. While the cruise line started as a small Norwegian company with three vessels, Fain propelled Royal Caribbean into becoming one of the most valuable and profitable cruise lines in the world. 

Before taking on the role of CEO for Royal Caribbean, Fain worked for Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation. This was a Norwegian shipping company and one of the three companies that co-founded Royal Caribbean. Fain served as treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, and Joint Managing Director during his 13 years at Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Company.

In 2022, Fain stepped down from his position as Royal Caribbean Group's CEO and still serves as a Chairman and Director of the Board. However, Royal Caribbean announced in June 2025 that Fain will step down from his position as Chairman. Instead, Jason Liberty, current Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO, will succeed as Chairman beginning in Q4 2025.

Throughout the book, Fain outlines Royal Caribbean’s massive transformation during his time as CEO. The story highlights many lessons learned, including insights on business leadership and the importance of Royal Caribbean's WOW-focused culture. 

While the book leans heavily into the actionable business insights from Royal Caribbean’s history, Fain sprinkles in dramatic moments throughout Royal Caribbean’s long history. For instance, he shares how the original design of Icon of the Seas’ Aquadome was originally sketched on a napkin in the break room!

As a longtime fan of Royal Caribbean and business analyst, I was eager to read Fain’s stories and business perspective. While I’m not a huge reader, Fain’s book was fun and easy to read. I loved hearing his personal and professional thoughts on many key moments in Royal Caribbean’s history.

Here are some of Fain’s biggest Royal Caribbean secrets and behind-the-scenes moments from his 30 years as Royal Caribbean Group’s CEO.

If you want to purchase Richard Fain’s new book, Delivering the WOW, you can pre-order it here on Amazon. By using our link, Royal Caribbean Blog receives a small commission at no extra cost to you.

1. Sovereign of the Seas' construction was almost cancelled during the 1987 recession

At the end of 1987, Fain was asked to be the Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and he accepted. The role would begin in the first quarter of 1988, aligning with the launch of Royal Caribbean’s first megaship, Sovereign of the Seas.

Then the unexpected happened. While Fain was looking forward to his new CEO position, the New York Stock Exchange dropped 23 percent on October 19, 1987, which is now known as “Black Monday." At the time, this was the largest single-day market drop in American history. 

With so much uncertainty, Fain says the future of traveling and cruising was up in the air. The former CEO shares how he received a panicked phone call from one of the company's shareholders, urging him to cancel the order for Sovereign of the Seas.

That call came from George Soros, one of the largest shareholders in Gotaas-Larsen. Although Fain had worked with Soros before, this conversation was different. And while Sovereign of the Seas was almost completely built, Soros insisted that Fain cancel the ship’s order.

Fain explains the tense conversation in his book: “George opened up without any of our usual preliminaries: ‘Richard, you need to cancel the order for the Sovereign of the Seas.’ I said, ‘George, we can’t cancel the order. The ship’s finished. It’s almost built.’

He said, ‘I know it’s almost done, but you’ve got to cancel, because nobody’s ever going to want to cruise again. Everybody should just act now, and if they feel poor, they won’t buy a cruise. You should act before the shipyard realizes how bad the future will be.’

I said, ‘George, even if that’s true, the ship is built. We can’t cancel. They’re already vacuuming the carpets!’ He said, ‘You may have to pay them a penalty, but you’ve got to cancel.’”

Fain details that he was confident in the cruise industry’s resiliency from previous recessions, and he didn’t share the stock market’s widespread pessimism.

He writes, “I reminded [George] that Gotaas-Larsen owned only one-third of Royal Caribbean. We couldn’t unilaterally demand the cancellation of a contract. Fortunately…the 1987 crash was short lived. Within six months, the stock market was back to where it had been.”

Just a few months later, on January 15, 1988, Sovereign of the Sea debuted and was blessed by her godmother, Rosalynn Carter. She became one of the most important cruise ships in Royal Caribbean's history.

2. Carnival tried to buy Royal Caribbean in 1988

After her debut, Sovereign of the Seas was a massive success for Royal Caribbean. Fain explains how the megaship was “profitable from her maiden voyage on and her guest satisfaction scores were the highest in the company’s history.”

He continues that the future of Royal Caribbean was looking bright with such strong performance from Sovereign of the Seas. By May 1988, the company was looking at building on the success of Sovereign of the Seas, but competitor Carnival Cruise Line had other plans.

Fain explains, “One morning, Jack Seabrook, the chairman of Gotaas-Larsen, called with shocking news. Carnival, the largest and most powerful cruise line in the world, wanted to buy Royal Caribbean. With that news, our future, our vision, everything we had been working toward was in play. I had only been Royal’s CEO for a few weeks, and suddenly, this call sounded like it might change everything.”

The clock started ticking on a high-stakes, fast-paced deal. Over the course of 40 days, Fain scrambled to find an alternative option. He details late-night negotiations and unexpected network connections, determined to keep Royal Caribbean’s independence.

At one point, a massive wire transfer was needed to secure Royal Caribbean’s future. However, Fain explains that the transfer, worth $300 million, was somehow lost in the London banking system with only a few hours left on the clock. This was the capital needed to finalize a new partnership that would block Carnival's takeover. Without this, Carnival's offer would become the default, and Royal Caribbean's independence would be lost.

When the money finally arrived at the last possible moment, Royal Caribbean entered into a new partnership that allowed the company to maintain its independence. As Fain reflects in the book, this was a make-or-break moment that defined the company and later proved the importance of lasting partnerships.

3. Royal Caribbean’s signature rock climbing wall almost didn’t happen

Royal Caribbean is known for its one-of-a-kind, innovative thrills that you can’t find on any other cruise ship. One of the cruise line’s first notable and unique additions to its ships was a rock climbing wall. While it doesn’t seem as significant compared to today’s attractions, including full-scale waterparks, surf simulators, and zip-lines, the addition was revolutionary at the time.

Fain details how some of the company’s youngest team members actually pitched the idea of a rock climbing wall - and he resisted at first. 

In his book, the former CEO explains during the final design stages for Voyager of the Seas in 1999, there was a large, empty space behind the ship’s funnel. Fain asked a small team of younger team members to imagine something interesting to put there, hoping for a fresh perspective.

After studying the ship’s design for several weeks, the team came back with a proposal for the rock-climbing wall. The team explained how the vertical space was perfect for a rock wall, and there would be plenty of space for equipment. The team also pointed out that rock climbing was becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in America, and could be popular with Royal Caribbean’s younger guests.

Fain states, “I resisted. I could not imagine anyone wanting to change into special gear on vacation and climb a wall. I didn’t tell them, but I privately went to a climbing studio and tried it myself. I came away with several bruises and a conviction that no reasonable person would find this fun.”

The team was pressed to find more reasonable alternatives, but they came back even more convinced that the rock wall would be the winner. “I hated all four ideas, but I thought the rock wall was the least terrible, so I agreed to it.”

However, Fain explains how the rock wall quickly became one of the most talked about features of the new ship.

He writes, “The cruise director commented, ‘Only a fraction of guests actually climb the wall, but it’s one of the most photographed features on board. It tells everyone this ship is different.’ It was so popular that we retrofitted it on our existing ships and have since included it on every new ship.”

Fain explains how this taught Royal Caribbean three valuable lessons. 

First, not everything needs to appeal to everyone. Even though only 10% of guests use the rock-climbing wall, its presence speaks volumes about the Royal Caribbean cruise experience. Second, it became symbolic of the shift Royal Caribbean was trying to make and emphasized that vacations don’t need to be sedentary. Finally, inspiration is everywhere, especially when you give people the opportunity to be creative.

4. Oasis of the Seas’ test blimp was almost shot down by the Swedish Air Force

(Photo shared by Loyal to Royal)

While Royal Caribbean has invented some of the most incredible shipboard technology, not all ideas were a success. Fain explains how the cruise line pursued the idea of putting a blimp on Oasis of the Seas, which ended up being a “spectacular failure”.

The blimp was meant to be towed 500 feet in the air above the vessel to give guests a view of the ship and its surroundings. Royal Caribbean hoped it would be a unique guest experience and a distinctive feature visible to people in the distance.

As you can imagine, Fain says the concept was technically challenging. He details, “It had to be able to withstand hurricane force winds and still be comfortable for 12 guests at a time. And it had to be tested under the most difficult of conditions—first in computer simulations, then in a wind tunnel, then on a special racing track, and finally onboard the ship during sea trials.”

(Photo shared by Loyal to Royal)

In the book, Fain explains how he tried the blimp himself, finding the ride stunning with breathtaking, sweeping views of the Swedish coast. “Once back on solid ground (i.e., the ship’s deck), the safety officer—who had been quiet during the ride—couldn’t stop talking about the view, how awe-inspiring it had been, and how blown away our guests would be.”

Because the blimp’s proper cradle wasn’t ready, the crew members tied the blimp to temporary moorings before bed that day. Unfortunately, there was a storm that night and the blimp actually broke free from the ship and flew away.

“Before we could find it, the captain received a call from the Swedish Air Force. Apparently, our blimp had floated into commercial air space, and the Air Force wanted to shoot it down. Luckily, before they opened fire, the blimp started descending and fell into the ocean. A fishing boat eventually picked it up.”

Fain says the blimp wasn’t meant to be, but it does showcase Royal Caribbean’s continued commitment to innovation at exceptional lengths. Even more importantly, the cruise line isn’t afraid to let go of an idea that isn't the right fit.

5. Royal Caribbean almost failed at building its ice skating rinks

Fain says Royal Caribbean is always determined to expand their entertainment options, especially with each new ship class. While ideating the next innovative space, Studio B came to life. However, the former CEO explains how the Studio B ice skating rink was one of the cruise line’s more interesting technical challenges.

“Our ships already had several entertainment spaces, but we wanted to add one additional space that would be different from anything else on the high seas. Peter Compton, who led our entertainment team, proposed adding a flexible space that would be patterned after the second stage in a TV studio,” writes Fain.

“He proposed calling it Studio B. Like a TV studio, there would be seating for the TV audience, and the space itself would be flexible enough to accommodate many kinds of activities.”

The team imagined what the space could be, but knew they wanted an ice skating rink. While testing artificial ice with a professional figure skater, the cruise line decided that the rink needed real ice. But, Fain never anticipated how challenging this could be.

Fain explains, “We learned instead that normal ice-skating rinks are made by pouring concrete over refrigerant pipes. That works fine on land, but ships flex as they move through the water. Ice can bend (who knew?), but concrete doesn’t.”

Royal Caribbean decided to design a viscous layer that resembled mud. This would stay soft near the bottom but firm towards the top. Because it could bend, the real ice rink could work on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas.

Fain details how he visited the Finnish shipyard and watched the workers flood Studio B with water to create a smooth sheet of ice, just as he had hoped. 

“It looked incredible. We high-fived as the Zamboni started smoothing the surface. I had been nervous, but now I could see for myself that it worked. Success,” says Fain.

Even though the ice looked good, the professional skater said it was too warm and soft to skate on. Fain says his heart sank as he imagined the new magnificent cruise ship debuting with an empty Studio B at its core. Luckily, the engineers found a simple fix that included a new refrigerant with a lower freezing point.

“It made the ice harder and colder and the skaters much happier. The ice-skating rink was so successful that we have put it on 16 ships and became the largest employer of figure skaters in America. My heart leaps every time I watch a performance in Studio B and see those extraordinary skaters effortlessly glide across the ice, as if the laws of friction didn’t exist," states the former CEO.

Fain says this displays Royal Caribbean’s unwavering commitment to its innovation with such a difficult and expensive proposition.

How does Royal Caribbean's top executive measure up to its past CEO?

A special event was held on Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas last week where Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty sat down for a public chat with his predecessor Richard Fain.

Mr. Liberty started off the event with a playful question: "It was about 20 years ago, almost to the day, that Richard hired me. So how am I doing?"

Without missing a beat, Fain quipped back: "You’re asking that about four years too late."

It drew a laugh from the audience, and set the tone for a reflection on where Royal Caribbean Group is headed.

Mr. Fain plainly said after the answer is in the results.

“If you look at the share price, employee satisfaction, the popularity and ratings on our cruises," Fain said with a smile, "apparently you’re doing a good job."

"It's the people"

Richard Fain lead Royal Caribbean for 33 years, and his legacy encompasses taking the company from cruise line to cruise giant.

Mr. Fain believes the secret to Royal Caribbean's success was never just about ships or flashy innovations. 

"It’s the people, it’s the people, it’s the people," he said. "Royal Caribbean has always attracted, promoted and dealt with the best and that has never left."

Having the right people to make their aspirations work is something Mr. Liberty agreed with.

"We’re surrounded by some of the greatest talent that walks on the planet, not just because they’re talented, but because they’re passionate," Liberty added.

A legacy that began in 1988

Richard Fain began working at Royal Caribbean in 1988, but he never imagined where the company would go and become in the decades since.

Under Mr. Fain's tenure, Royal Caribbean went from a cruise line with a handful of ships to a market leader with dozens of ships all over the world.

"It was hard for me to imagine it today. It’s so different than what we expected. But the one thing that hasn’t changed was to be a cut above and to be more than just a cruise line, but to be part of the vacation market."

Under his leadership, the age of the megaships was introduced and it redefined what a cruise vacation would encompass.

Mr. Liberty gave credit to Fain for the years of dedication that lead Royal Caribbean's growth, "The culture of this company is really rooted in the culture that Richard built. The amount of pride to see his flowers bloom must be exceptional."

More talk of Project Discovery

During the question and answer session, a travel agent asked about plans for a smaller cruise ship design and Mr. Liberty touched on the rumored plans.

Liberty acknowledged that the company is also investing in "Project Discovery," a new class of slightly smaller ships designed to deliver the same signature Royal Caribbean experiences at a more approachable scale.

"There's also an opportunity to build ships that have a lot of the same amenities and activities, but on a slightly smaller platform," he said.

He admitted it's still in the "dream engine" phase, but more to come, "hopefully relatively soon."

Fain added that size has never been the point: "It wasn't a team fixated on large or small. It was a team that could bring magic to whatever size it was."

City tours are in the past

A really interesting discussion centered around their vision for the future.

Mr. Liberty had a bold statement about how people want to explore the world, "The time of city tours, I think, is of the past," he said. 

"The time of experience building with your friends and family is where we are today, and I think where we’re going to be tomorrow."

He's alluding to the idea that going to a city simply to sightsee isn't as engaging from a memory making family vacation as a cruise can be in that regard.

"Vacation experiences have to be something that you want to brag about on social media or things that you’ll build legacies for a lifetime," Liberty added

Royal Caribbean legend, Richard Fain, is taking another step back from the cruise giant.

The company announced on Friday Mr. Fain is stepping down as Royal Caribbean Board Chairman in the fourth quarter of 2025. He will remain on the Board of Directors.

Replacing him will be Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO. He'll take over the role in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Additionally, John Brock, a member of the Board of Directors since 2014 and current Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has assumed the role of Independent Lead Director.

The change in board leadership signifies the transition Royal Caribbean Group is making to the next generation. In the years since Mr. Fain stepped down as CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the Icon Class was introduced along with plans for river cruises and an expansion of private destinations.

"Time to hand the wheel to the next generation"

In a statement, Mr. Fain expressed his gratitude for time spent, and thinks the company is moving in the right direction.

"It is time to hand the wheel to the next generation of exceptional talent at Royal Caribbean Group, and I am very confident that under Jason's strong leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group will accelerate to even greater heights in the years ahead," noted Richard Fain.

Mr. Liberty also shared his thoughts on the change.

"Richard's leadership has been nothing short of transformative. Under his leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group has become the leading vacation company - with industry leading brands, ships, destinations and people," said Liberty. 

"I am honored and humbled to have been elected as Chairman and CEO and I look forward to continuing to create and deliver the ultimate vacation experience for our guests and delivering elevated long-term value for our shareholders. Fortunately, the company and I will continue to benefit from Richard's experience and mentorship in his continued role as a Director on our Board."

Richard Fain's legacy

Richard Fain worked at Royal Caribbean since 1988, and he leaves behind a tradition of leadership and vision for the future.

Under Mr. Fain's tenure, Royal Caribbean went from a cruise line with a handful of ships to a market leader with dozens of ships all over the world.

The company expanded to include Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, growing the offerings and experiences available.

Notably, he ushered in the mega ship era.  The arrival of the Oasis Class ships instantly raised the bar for what the public expected from a mainstream cruise line.

On top of that, he oversaw the Perfect Day at CocoCay transformation.  This has fundamentally changed the entire cruise industry's approach to a private island.  Beach, chairs, and umbrellas aren't enough anymore, and we're seeing other cruise lines rush to upgrade their private destinations to match.

All the while, Mr. Fain ensured steady growth, even while facing a cruise industry shutdown in 2020 that crippled the industry.

Many credit Mr. Fain's leadership in 2020-2021 for providing a beacon of hope that cruises would return, and since then, Royal Caribbean has emerged financially and strategically stronger for it.

Who is Jason Liberty?

Taking over as Board Chairman is the current Royal Caribbean Group CEO, Jason Liberty.

Mr. Liberty served in several financial, strategic and operational roles before becoming CFO in 2013. He was then promoted to CEO in 2022.

Since taking over as CEO, he's been the face of the giant cruise company and an advocate for pushing the company forward while managing its post-shutdown financial future.

In the company's most recent earnings call, he echoed a phrase he's used many times, "Our plan.. continues to be grounded in our proven formula for success, moderate capacity growth, moderate yield growth, and strong cost control."

In his three years at the helm, he's signed off on plans to expand into river cruising, as well as expanding to more private destinations.

"We're committed to pushing the boundaries of what a modern-day vacation can be – delivering innovative experiences that create unforgettable memories for our guests and value for the communities we visit," he said last month in a prepared statement.

Former Royal Caribbean C.E.O. Richard Fain's impressive 10,840-square-foot mansion hit the market after more than 35 years for $42 million. 

Fain joined Royal Caribbean in 1979 as an outside director on the company’s Board of Directors. In 1988, he took the position of Chair of the Board of the Royal Caribbean Group and was named the company's Chief Executive Officer. 

Under Fain’s leadership, Royal Caribbean transformed into one of the most recognized and respected brands in the travel industry. While with the company, Royal Caribbean Group introduced new ship categories that continuously pushed the boundaries of cruise ship innovation, including the Sovereign, Voyager, and Oasis Classes. 

He stepped down as C.E.O. on January 3, 2022, with Jason Liberty succeeding him and joining the Board of Directors. 

Having spent over 33 years with the company, he amassed an impressive net worth of over $100 million. However, Fain decided it was time to list his waterfront home in Coral Gables, Florida.

The sprawling estate sits on over 2.25 acres

Designed by acclaimed architect Dan Roban, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, the lavish estate showcases tropical modernism, featuring textured coral rock, exposed wood beams, and expansive skylights. 

It also highlights one of the best parts of Southern Florida living for the wealthy: direct waterfront access to the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. The mansion includes 130 feet of waterfrontage, as well as a private dock and boat lift. 

In addition to its prime waterfront location, the estate features a pool that complements its tropical modern, upscale design.

Surrounded by lush landscaping, the pool area offers a relaxing retreat far from what you'd find on any Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Inside, the home offers seven spacious bedrooms, a chef's kitchen, and a living room with vaulted ceilings. The high ceilings help create an open feel and blend the indoor and outdoor spaces. Expansive skylights also flood the home with plenty of natural light. 

Regardless of where you step, large windows frame the property like living art, allowing endless views of the flora and waterfront. 

The home was originally built in 1969 but has undergone obvious updates to preserve its architectural integrity while blending modern conveniences and luxuries. 

However, the estate's interior design incorporates warmer colors, straying from the modern trend of minimalist whites and cool tones — think earthy browns and beige instead of clean, sparkling marble. 

The estate also includes seven and a half baths, an attached garage, walk-in closets, and more. 

The master bathroom is perhaps the most impressive. It features an elegant soaking tub positioned to take full advantage of the property's views. 

However, it also has his and hers showers, both of which have small windows to bring in even more natural light. 

The massive dual vanity has sleek countertops and offers ample storage, akin to what you might find in one of Royal Caribbean's largest suites! 

At $42 million, this over-the-top mansion isn't cheap. In addition to the steep asking price, Douglas Elliman reports that the home comes with $7,500 in annual maintenance and nearly $70,000 in taxes. 

The home is located at 700 Arvida Pkwy, Coral Gables, FL 33156 in the prestigious Gables Estates community, which was developed in the 1960s and features just 164 homes and 24-hour security. 

Richard Fain announced he will step down as Royal Caribbean Group CEO in January 2022, leaving behind an incredible legacy over his 33 years at the helm.

With Mr. Fain moving away from the day-to-day operations of the company, it makes sense to look back on some of his many accomplishments.

Mr. Fain joined the company at a time when Royal Caribbean was still deeply rooted in the beginnings of modern cruising, and ushered in innovations and changes that fundamentally changed what the public thinks a cruise ship can be.

There is no way to perfectly encapsulate all of Mr. Fain's accomplishments in one post, but as Royal Caribbean and the industry wish Mr. Fain a fond farewell, we look back at some of his major achievements.

How Fain joined Royal Caribbean

In the 1980's, Royal Caribbean was a middleweight contender in the cruise industry, and it quickly reached a crossroads of what to do next.

Song of Norway had ushered in a new era of cruising, but by the end of 1983, the company was considering what expansion would make sense.  Economies of scale, already realized onboard Song of America, were clearly the wave of the future.

Like any sensible enterprise pondering its next step, Miami's management went shopping for advice, turning to the Cambridge-based consulting firm of Arthur D. Little.

The highly respected organization was asked to undertake a survey of the cruise industry with an eye to determining Royal Caribbean's position and potential within it.

At the time, Richard D. Fain was the vice-president of finance for one of the original investors in Royal Caribbean, Gotaas-Larsen.

In the 1970s, Fain had served as treasurer for both Gotaas-Larsen and its parent company, International Utilities, becoming increasingly involved in Royal Caribbean's financial operations.

Richard Fain chaired that committee, an appointment to which two of the founding families of the cruise objected (Skaugens and the Wilhelmsens) because his chairmanship would give Gotaas-Larsen double representation.

But Fain, in turn, promised to remain impartial. Fain discovered that by holding meetings in Miami, he was able to guarantee the attendance of key corporate personnel, who had a wealth of information to enrich Arthur D. Little's accumulating data.

As of 1984, the report pointed out, Royal Caribbean had an eleven percent market share, compared with NCL's fourteen percent and Carnival's fifteen percent. Although the conclusions were the result of a strategic thought process and were not motivated by the importance of being big, immediate expansion was recommended: additional newbuilding and/or a merger with another cruise line.

"Expansion" was the operative word, expansion not only of Royal Caribbean's next class of vessel but its size of operations as well. 

This report galvanized Royal Caribbean, and in 1984, the world's largest purpose-built cruise ship, Sovereign of the Seas, was conceived. And the committee that bad been assembled to assist with the Little report evolved into Royal Caribbean's Steering Committee, with Fain remaining in the chair.

Voyager of the Seas

Mr. Fain began his career as the CEO of Royal Caribbean right around the time Sovereign of the Seas launched, and the cruise world was once again changed when Voyager of the Seas redefined what a mega ship is.

He realized that the image problem the cruise industry had among the public of being outdated, boring and, as an industry joke put it, full of "the newlywed and the nearly dead".

Mr. Fain believed to attract a new kind of customer, he needed a new kind of ship. To build it, he hired Harri Kulovaara in 1995, a Finnish naval architect who made a name for himself designing passenger ferries. 

Kulovaara was brought onboard to help run the company’s shipbuilding department.

Originally, Royal Caribbean was looking to commission a carbon copy of Sovereign of the Seas. "We’re not going to build that, Harri,” Fain told him. “We need something better."

That "better" idea ended up being Voyager of the Seas.

Voyager of the Seas launched in 1999, and introduced the first ice-skating rink at sea, the first rock climbing wall at sea, and indoor promenade. It was also 75% bigger than the previous-largest cruise ship, exceeding Panamax – the width of the Panama Canal, an industry-standard measurement.

"You wanted things that helped convey that this [cruising] was an unusual activity, that you could do what you wanted," Fain said. He said Voyager of the Seas was instrumental in continuing to shift the idea that cruising was for everyone.

Like Song of Norway and Sovereign before her, Voyager of the Seas would innovate ship design for decades and become the new standard going forward.

Oasis

Copyright :©BRIANSMITH.COM

Turning the cruise industry on its head is something Richard Fain started getting good at, and history would repeat itself yet again with the most ambitious project yet for Royal Caribbean with Project Genesis.

Six years before Oasis of the Seas would be launched, Mr. Fain and the team at Royal Caribbean started out with the concept of wanting to do something new and different. 

We decided to start with a blank sheet of paper and said, "What do we want our guests to do? What activities do we want to offer them?” The name of this project was Project Genesis. The idea was to indicate that this was a fresh start in terms of design. We didn’t actually start out intending to build something quite so large."

Copyright :©BRIANSMITH.COM

"The whole thesis was to give people more choice. So instead of one large pool deck divided into two we wanted to have a series—one just for families, one just for adults, one just for sports … When we added up all the things we wanted to provide for people to do, it turned out the ship was much bigger than originally expected, as we were also able to provide much more in terms of activities and amenities. "

Royal Caribbean brought in architects and designers to help take all the ideas the company had and create a revolutionary cruise ship.

At 225,000 tons, the Oasis of the Seas weighs as much as four Titanics. 

Beyond her size, Oasis of the Seas introduced the crowd-control concept of "neighborhoods", with seven in total.  Oasis also was the first ship to have a split-back design that opened the back of the ship up (Boardwalk), as well as an open-air park featuring 12,000 plants in the middle (Central Park).

Then there's the first AquaTheater at sea, the first zip line at sea and much more.

In short, Oasis of the Seas continued Royal Caribbean's legacy of revolutionary cruise ship design.  Any new mass-market cruise ship built since has had to compare itself to the game-changing Oasis of the Seas.

Covid

There is no way to talk about Mr. Fain's legacy without also acknowledging the tremendous work he did publicly and behind the scenes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

No company was properly prepared for the government mandated shutdown of the cruise industry, which was the only industry to voluntarily shut down on its own but then face stiff opposition to prevent it from returning.

From the onset of the shutdown, Mr. Fain began producing short videos posted online for travel agents that shared his outlook on the situation, as well as hope for the future.

While these videos may have been intended only for the trade, they became a beacon of hope in a shroud of unknowns. For many cruise fans, it provided helpful insight into what may come next, as well as much needed optimism.

Behind the scenes, Mr. Fain championed the creation of the Healthy Sail Panel, a group of renowned health experts who established safety and wellness protocols to restore confidence in cruising safety.

It was fitting he announced stepping away as CEO in a video update for travel agents, bringing his tenure to a close in the same way he provided updates for more than a year.

When 2022 begins, it will mark the end of an era for Royal Caribbean when the head of the company steps away.

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO, announced on Tuesday he is stepping down as the CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group effective January 3, 2022. 

Richard will remain Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Group Board and will stay involved in our new shipbuilding projects.

"I'm not disappearing from this industry we all love. I will remain as Chair and I will continue my involvement in our new building projects. But starting in January, I will no longer be involved in the day to day running of the business," Mr. Fain said in a video announcement.

Taking over as CEO will be Royal Caribbean's current Chief Financial Officer, Jason Liberty.

Replacing Mr. Liberty will be Naftali Holtz, who is currently the senior vice president of finance for the Royal Caribbean Group, responsible for corporate, capital and revenue planning and analysis, deployment planning, risk management and treasury.

For 33 years, Mr. Fain has been the CEO, taking the company from the Sovereign Class era to today.

Under Fain, Royal Caribbean introduced new ship classes that transformed the cruise industry, such as the Sovereign, Voyager, and Oasis classes.

Of course, Mr. Fain was also running sister brand Celebrity Cruises with the introduction of their Solstice and Edge classes.

Just as importantly, Mr. Fain was a stalwart figure over the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping Royal Caribbean Group afloat during a massive shutdown that threatened the core business after over a year of no operations.

Fain joined forces with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' CEO Frank del Rio to form the Healthy Sail Panel, a group of renowned health experts who established safety and wellness protocols to restore confidence in cruising safety.

Mr. Fain describes his decision to leave as an easy one, "We have been blessed with 33 years leading the best company in the world with some of the finest, most dedicated, most passionate people in the world.

"I couldn't be prouder of what that team has accomplished over these years, and I know without any doubt that I have had the very best job in the world."

Meet Jason Liberty

Royal Caribbean Group's new CEO is Jason Liberty, who joined the company in 2005.

Mr. Liberty served in several financial, strategic and operational roles before becoming CFO in 2013.

Liberty is also responsible for Silversea Cruises, the Group's joint ventures with TUI Cruises and Hapag Lloyd Cruises, as well as the Royal Caribbean Group's strategy, technology, supply chain, port operations and legal functions.

Mr. Fain believes Mr. Liberty is ready for this role, "Jason is exactly the right person at the right time to do so, and he is supported by an amazing team of innovative and imaginative leaders who will help drive that growth."

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has a new video update where he says he is done talking about the Covid-19, and it's time to move on.

The new video update is aimed at travel agents, but provides important insight into what he and the cruise line are thinking about at the moment.

In a new video update, Mr. Fain shares why now is the time to look past the pandemic and focus on cruises in 2022.

In fact, Mr. Fain declared he is going to stop talking about the disease, which is in itself significant since he began issuing these video updates during the cruise industry shutdown due to Covid-19.

"The time has come to look forward," Mr. Fain firmly stated. "The time has come to focus on how we come out of the panic and out of the pandemic, rather than how we should live during it."

"We all need to think differently. Our future becomes clearer every day."

Mr. Fain's message comes as the Royal Caribbean Group has re-opened its headquarters in Miami. While the disease will remain a concern, he feels society has a much better grasp on it becoming controlled, especially with children on the brink of being able to get vaccinated.

"It will continue to produce variants that vex us, but now we understand the main drivers. We know how to control the disease as it moves from totally uncontrolled spread with a high level of fatalities to a more ubiquitous, ongoing disease that impacts a declining number of people."

"There are likely to be more variants, but they are not likely to upset our ongoing progress, and all of this progress still isn't going to eliminate COVID, but it should bring it down from being a terrifying pandemic."

Mr. Fain also shared a recent map of Covid cases by county in the United States, and contrasted the case loads to cruise ships, which he believes have an advantage over land based comparables.

"The vast bulk of the people are vaccinated. We can control our sanitation, including air filtration, etc., and we can establish strict protocols. As a result, we can make ships safer than shore based alternatives," Mr. Fain explained.

"Although the CDC doesn't do a comparison, I believe a fair reading of all the data taking into account all the factors would color this ship blue, which is the lowest category of risk. Certainly better than the bulk of counties in America, and that's why I'm going to stop talking about the disease."

Mr. Fain also talked about a surge in new bookings coming from online rather than travel agents. To that point, he believes now is the time for travel agents to double their efforts to work on selling cruises since the market is showing signs of people wanting to travel again.

Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation

Mr. Fain pointed to demand returning in the form of more visitors to Royal Caribbean's website, along with more calls and bookings made directly with the cruise line.

"We need you, our travel partners, to reach our full potential. Of course, there still will be many who prefer to buy buy online, and the internet does make that very easy."

"Simply put, we need you and we need your personal touch. We need you and your knowledge, and the clients need you to help them understand the complexities."

When will cruise ships get back to one hundred percent capacity is a hot question, and it could be as early as the end of this year.

While speaking at the Seatrade Global 2021 conference earlier today, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain was asked his thoughts on getting back to full capacity as early as next year.

"In terms of numbers next year, I definitely think so," Mr. Fain responded.

"In our core markets, we expect to be essentially there by the end of this year."

Mr. Fain did not elaborate what "core markets" exactly means.  

Royal Caribbean International ships have been sailing at reduced capacity since they restarted operations, and there have been no public announcements as to how full any ship or sailing would be going forward.

Mr. Fain said he believes misinformation about the restart process has been an issue for customers, travel agents, and industry professionals.

"I think a key issue here is there's so much misinformation out there on so many topics."

"It's been a difficult year for all of our partners here in the audience who have also had to deal with this and our travel advisory partners. But one of the things that's caused a lot of confusion is we've canceled cruises. Do you get your rebate? You take a future cruise credit. That's very confusing."

Mr. Fain echoed sentiments he shared last week in a video update that the upcoming booking season in early 2021 will be an important time to step up and show the public cruise ships are ready to sail.

"What we really want to do is make sure that when we start that key booking period, our ships are operating."

"They can see they're operating, they can see the protocols are working, they can see people are taking cruises, they're not going to worry about cancellations and this or that. So we really need to get back to a period of stability."

Last week, Mr. Fain said he wanted nearly all ships back in operation, "By the end of this year, we want virtually all of our ships to be operating and operating seamlessly in our core markets."

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain says his company is focusing now on 2022 and beyond, rather than the ongoing delta variant-induced problems of what is left in 2021.

In a new video update to travel advisors, Mr. Fain talked about how the delta variant, "caused such turmoil and hurt our bookings so much". As a result, Royal Caribbean is poised to move past it and look to the future for the real rebound.

Mr. Fain believes society has decided that there is a balance between "reasonable risk" and certain precautions.

"Society isn't willing to accept the terrible losses that would occur if we simply took zero precautions. But it's also abundantly clear that people are simply not willing to make the sacrifice to their quality of life that would be required to completely eliminate such risk."

With travel, and other aspects of life, re-emerging, Royal Caribbean Group is now focused on what's to come in 2022, and not what is left of 2021.

"Our focus is therefore on 2022, not the remaining months of 2021," Mr. Fain admitted. "Obviously, we don't like giving up on any period, but we are more determined to do well in 2022 and 2023, even if that means accepting short term hits this year."

Mr. Fain spent some time talking about how its company is approaching its protocols right now.

In terms of limited capacity on cruise ships, the reason for keeping it low is for several reasons.

"Firstly, we wanted to be extra cautious during our starting period. We also have felt the impact of air travel restrictions, especially between countries, because so much of our business relies on international travel."

"And we made a deliberate decision to get more ships operating sooner, even when that means each ship operates at a very low occupancy for a few months."

Mr. Fain identified two overriding goals that Royal Caribbean Group has right now.

"Firstly, key to our success in 2022 will be wave period. And to have a good wave, we need to show that we go into wave with a solid and stable operation."

Wave season is an industry term for the time of year when cruise lines tend to offer their best promotion. It traditionally takes place between January and March and is not just an arbitrary time of year to offer cruise deals.

Many people typically book cruises in the early months of year as a result of wanting to plan their vacations for later, as well as being influenced by cold temperatures now that compel them to think of a tropical cruise vacation.

In order to take advantage of higher demand, all the cruise lines roll out new promotions and incentives to get their share of the new bookings.

"That means by December, we want stability. None of the confusion and endless changes that we have been experiencing, and that is so frustrating to you and your clients."

"By the end of this year, we want virtually all of our ships to be operating and operating seamlessly in our core markets."

The second goal is to show how safe going on a cruise ship is right now.

"We're doing that today, not by theory, not by prediction, but by actual operations."

"Already, two thirds of our capacities operating, we have carried over half a million guests and only had one hundred and forty one cases amongst those five hundred thousand people."

Mr. Fain said there would be cases on ships, just like on land, but the difference is the effective management of cases to limit the spread, "because of our protocols, there haven't been any big outbreaks and the few cases we have seen have been managed quickly and effectively."

"By the end of November, we will have carried over a million guests and that's just one cruise company, albeit the best cruise company."

"There are very few places on Earth that can institute the protective protocols that the cruise industry can implement."

"Isolated cases? Yes. Big outbreaks, no."

Requiring the vaccine of employees

Mr. Fain shared one other anecdote in this video as it relates to mandating the Covid-19 vaccine for its employees.

According to Fain, a little over 20% of their employees said they were not willing to get vaccinated.

However, over the last couple of months, Royal Caribbean worked with these employees to provide those who wanted it with expert advice and data.

As of last week when the deadline came for employees to get vaccinated, 96% agreed to do it.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain talked about the threat the Delta variant poses to the cruise industry, but also what can be done to combat its effects.

Mr. Fain started off his latest video update with the admission that the Delta variant hit the cruise industry hard, and right at the time it looked like things were going to quickly move back to normal.

"It was only a few weeks ago that we all thought that the virus was getting under control and life was gradually returning to normal. Unfortunately, the Delta variant upset all our plans."

Mr. Fain said the Delta variant has hurt cruise bookings, but has not destroyed the forward progress the cruise industry is making to get back into operations.

Mr. Fain sees a parallel between what is happening right now with the Delta variant and an important World War 2 battle, the Battle of the Bulge.

He sees the Delta variant as a sudden fight back in an enemy we had considered defeated, similar to how the Battle of the Bulge was the last offensive by the German army in the war at a time the Allies thought victory was close at hand.

"Like world war two, we're fighting a powerful and determined enemy. It's a hard battle and fighting. It is costing us heavily in casualties and in money. But it's a battle we simply can't afford to lose."

"We have no choice but to do what it takes to defeat this insidious disease. I hope and I trust that America will once again stand up and be counted."

Mr. Fain also said just like in the war, by Americans working together can the virus be defeated.

"Not only the soldiers in the field, but the entire country was united in a common goal, defeating the enemy and ending the war."

In his eyes, Mr. Fain sees two important lessons that the Battle of the Bulge taught us, "First, and I think most importantly, America can do amazing things when we work together."

"The second important similarity to the Battle of the Bulge is the ultimate outcome is clear and it's inevitable."

The way Mr. Fain sees things, the Delta variant is "a big bump in the road", but he sees a clear path forward.

"Cases are up, but that will soon peak. Hospitalizations and fatalities are up by a much lesser degree, and then mostly amongst those who have made a voluntary choice to refuse the vaccine."

"We are definitely not where we hope to be. We have taken one step back after taking two steps forward. Fortunately, more forward steps are coming."

Mr. Fain also celebrated the fact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer vaccine, and the fact he believes in a few months vaccines will be available for children as young as five years old.

"The end of this battle is in sight. But we can't let down our guard," he said right before making the bold statement, "Please wash your hands, and dammit, get vaccinated."