Dedicated Service Seeks to Speed Recovery of Hard-hit Travel Sector
MIAMI, March 31, 2020 – The COVID-19 crisis has hit small businesses hard, from the local restaurant to the corner hardware store—and travel advisors are no exception. The Royal Caribbean Group is stepping up in support of the travel advisor community with RCL Cares, a new, dedicated program created to assist thousands of travel professionals in the U.S., Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories dealing with the negative impact of the crisis.
The travel advisor support program, rolling out in the coming days, will offer a variety of services to help educate travel partners as they navigate the myriad of government benefits, including those in the newly signed U.S. economic relief measure—the CARES Act. These services will include one-on-one assistance and access to key resources and the latest information pertaining to recovery benefits available under the act. Travel partners can find educational material about the new law beginning today, and they will soon have the opportunity to receive more assistance through a resource desk the company is setting up. The program will not provide legal advice.
"This is perhaps the most challenging time the travel industry has seen, and we want to do all we can to support those who have supported us throughout our history. Our travel partner community is hurting, and help can’t come too soon," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "Any piece of legislation can be challenging to understand, and we want our travel advisors to receive all the financial assistance available to them. While our ships are idle, we have resources that can be redirected to helping our travel partners so that they will be fully ready and able to charge ahead when we return to service."
Behind RCL Cares’ personalized services is the cruise industry’s most dedicated sales organization. Hand in hand, sales teams from Azamara, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea will guide travel advisors through the information about the CARES Act as they consider their options for economic relief.
Travel professionals can get started with RCL Cares at CruisingPower.com, where they can access highlights of the CARES Act, FAQs, Small Business Association resources and tips. The support program will introduce new services and tools in the near future to continue helping travel partners during this difficult time.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that controls and operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises. We are also a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together these brands operate a combined total of 61 ships with an additional 17 on order as of December 31, 2019. They operate diverse itineraries around
the world that call on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamara.com, www.silversea.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or www.rclinvestor.com.