Royal A-Holes
I usually keep this blog quirky or lighthearted, but I’m hot under the collar about an email I received this morning from Royal Caribbean:
Dear Shelley,
All of us at Royal Caribbean International continue to extend our heartfelt sympathies to those affected by Carnival Corporation’s recent tragic incident on the Costa Concordia. As a Crown & Anchor Society member and loyal Royal Caribbean guest, we know you may have some questions as the situation continues to unfold.
At Royal Caribbean International, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our highest priority. It is fundamental to our operations. Our maritime safety record over our 42-year history illustrates our commitment to the safety of the millions of guests and crew that sail on our ships. The measures we take in the interest of safety are many, often exceeding the regulatory requirements – these are all part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in every aspect of our business.
To address some of your questions and concerns, here is a video that will provide an overview of safety onboard our ships; the training of our crew, officers and captains; and the many regulations that govern our practices. Click here to watch.
As a past cruiser, we know your friends and family may be asking about your own time at sea. We hope that you’ll share this video along with your personal Royal Caribbean experiences with them, and reinforce that cruising continues to maintain the best safety record of any industry in travel.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon on one of our ships sailing to 270 destinations worldwide.
Sincerely,
Adam Goldstein
President and CEO
Royal Caribbean International
Are you serious, Mr Goldstein?!
If you were sincere in your efforts to comfort your customers and assure them that cruising is safe, you should not have included – in the FIRST SENTENCE of your email – that the Cost Concordia is affiliated with your competitor, Carnival. This is not an incidental mention. It’s an attempt to reassure your clientele that Royal Caribbean ships are safe, while planting the idea that other cruise lines might put their lives at risk.
And what’s worse, you did it before all of the bodies were recovered and identified, while families are still waiting for word on missing loved ones. While this picture is still on people’s screens.
And worst of all, you did it under the guise of soothing people’s potentially worried minds.
That’s bald, smug, vulgar opportunism, and quite transparent to boot.
I’m sure you really do want to reassure people. This was just the wrong way to do it.
