Press Release: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
February 15, 2001
MIAMI, FL -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. yesterday announced improvements to its CruiseCare guest protection program.
The additions involve expanded guest cancellation coverage and enhanced commission protection for travel agents.
The changes are being made at no additional cost to guests or travel agents.
Under the new CruiseCare coverage, which takes effect on April 3, 2001, if guests who purchase CruiseCare cancel
their cruise for any reason not covered by the insurance provisions of CruiseCare, Royal Caribbean International
or Celebrity Cruises will provide a credit to the guest, equal to 75 percent of the cancellation penalty amount
paid on the booking, which guests must use within one year toward a future cruise on Royal Caribbean International
or Celebrity Cruises.
Also, under the new coverage, should guests with CruiseCare cancel their cruise for any reason, Royal Caribbean
International or Celebrity Cruises will protect the travel agent's commission, up to a maximum of the cancellation
penalty paid on the booking.
``We at Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises believe strongly in delivering the highest level of
passenger comfort and service,'' said Michael Applebaum, vice president of Sales. ``Our improvements to CruiseCare
are just one more example of how we do that.
``Our CruiseCare improvements are not only intended to provide the broadest travel insurance and guest protection,
but also to be among the most generous in the cruise industry when it comes to protecting agent commissions,''
Applebaum said. ``It is appropriate that we make this announcement on Valentine's Day, as this is a nice way to
show our guests and travel agents how much we care for them and appreciate their business.''
CruiseCare is adding its new coverage while keeping all the first-class features it always had. These include coverage
of trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, most medical expenses (including emergency evacuation),
and access to emergency assistance when guests lose their passports, credit cards or other important documents.
CruiseCare is available with all Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises sailings. Rates range from
$39 to $215 per person and are based on cruise length and destinations. For further information on the new CruiseCare
program, guest and travel agents may contact the Royal Caribbean International CruiseCare Helpline at 1-800-453-4022,
or the Celebrity CruiseCare Helpline at 1-800-797-4516.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity
Cruises, and Royal Celebrity Tours. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have a combined total of
19 ships in service and 10 under construction or on firm order. Royal Celebrity Tours operates cruisetour vacations
in Alaska utilizing the world's largest glass-domed railcars. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com,
www.celebritycruises.com or www.rclinvestor.com.
SOURCE: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.