Royal Caribbean is targeting to as employ many as 10,000 employees worldwide this year to run its ships and private destinations as requests for ocean cruises hit records. The number of individuals taking cruises touched a peek high in 2023, and with the flow in demand and larger vessels, worker needs are mounting. Port operators and tourism boards from around the world informed Royal Caribbean — which already contains a workforce of close to 100,000 — is looking to hire worldwide this year.
According to the company’s yearly filing, its sea-based staff last year — which includes staffers on its cruise ships — totaled around 88,700 staff, 6% lower than the year before. The Goliath’s land-based workforce, in the meantime — which included primarily port operations and commercial office roles — together with at its private destinations comprised roughly 9,500 full-time staffs in 2023, up 17% from the year before.
The recruiting policy follows the business tactic of moderate size growth, a company representative told Reuters. The British Virgin Islands (BVI) in April was allegedly approached by Royal Caribbean concerning staffing and hiring, an appeal it hadn’t received in the previous, said Natasha Chalwell, BVI Port Authority marketing director.
But the cruise giant is not only fixated on the Caribbean: The corporation also approached West Africa’s Gambia Tourism Board in April with the intent of hiring more laborers, a representative said. Royal Caribbean’s incursion in hiring comes at a period when it is including three new ships to its fleet, the business rep added.
This year, the business debuted the world’s largest cruise ship, named Icon of the Seas. The $2 billion giant allegedly survived up to the over-the-top publicity surrounding its introduction, which comprised buzz that extended 20 stories and claims eight distinct neighborhoods. Icon of the Seas can house nearly 10,000 passengers and crew at full volume, who are invited to appreciate a 17,000-square-foot onboard water park or book a reservation at the 38-seat Empire Supper Club, an eight-course banquet complete with cocktail pairings and live jazz.
The gigantic ship is sailing on week-long itineraries from Miami to Caribbean destinations such as Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Cozumel, Mexico, amongst others. This July, Utopia of the Seas is planned to sail every Friday and Monday from Port Canaveral, Fla., to Seamless Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. The approaching ship can house 5,668 guests at capacity and offers 21 dining options, five pools, a zip line, an ice-skating rink, a basketball court, and two rock-climbing walls.
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, in the meantime, is projected to set sail in the summer of 2025. The corporation’s website touts the ship as having “over 40 ways to dine and drink,” plus “6 record-breaking waterslides” and “7 splashy pools.” Royal Caribbean informed its reservations hit a record in the first quarter of 2024, enhancing quarterly revenue to $3.73 billion, up 29%. Similar time, the Miami-based company’s stock worth has doubled over the previous year to hit a new record.
