Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International; Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group; Gus Andersson, captain of Utopia of the Seas
Since its first cruise in 1970 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) has been a player in the cruise ship industry. Today, Royal Caribbean is a major player.
In 1968, hospitality entrepreneur Ed Stephan and three Norwegian ship owners, Sigurd Skaugen, Anders Wilhemsen and Gotaas Larsen, created a cruise line to sail the Caribbean. The partners chose the name “Royal Caribbean” – with the connection to royalty signifying the high standards of service guests could expect from the new company. The first ship, Song of Norway, set sail on her maiden voyage from Miami, Florida on November 7, 1970, followed by two more ships in the next two years.
Influenced by the state-of-the-art Norwegian marine industry, the Royal Caribbean team built those first three ships for speed and fuel efficiency, with shallow drafts that could allow the ships to berth at small island quays. Impressed also by the Norwegian culture of ship safety, they made sure the vessels were designed for quick, efficient evacuation. Those early ships pioneered the wide, open-air decks and the round-cantilevered Viking Crown Lounges that separated Royal Caribbean ships from other cruise lines.
In the decades that followed, Royal Caribbean has continued as an industry innovator – from hotel and dining to entertainment, safety, technology and destination development.
Getting bigger has a lot of positives. But there are certain traits that helped Royal Caribbean get to where they are today. Chief among them is their entrepreneurial spirit, hiring the right people at all levels, and the ability to innovate and constantly strive to do better.
“Guests have come to expect the biggest, best and boldest from Royal Caribbean Group. And we aren’t going to let them down — ever,” said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO.
Cruises with Royal Caribbean unlock some of the best and most iconic corners of the world. Whether you dream of island-hopping to beautiful beaches in the Caribbean and the South Pacific, exploring wild national parks in Alaska and northern Europe, soaking up ancient history and culture in the Mediterranean or immersing yourself in Asia’s many exotic wonders, there is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship waiting for your booking as you can choose from all kinds of globetrotting itineraries sailing to more than 300 awe-inspiring ports of call. No matter where you wander, you’re in for a getaway unlike any other.
Today there are 28 Royal Caribbean ships sailing in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia, including: Anthem of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and the latest and second largest cruise ship in the world, Utopia of the Seas.
Pursuitist was invited to two key events for Utopia of the Seas.
Saint-Nazaire, France
I traveled in late May – early June to the Chantiers De L’Atlantique Shipyard in Saint-Nazaire France to witness the final stages of construction for the ultra-impressive new mega-ship, Utopia of the Seas.
What an experience!
As we approached the shipyard, Utopia of the Seas dominated the Saint-Nazaire skyline. The specifications of the super ship are impressive: It’s 1,188 feet long. Compare that to New York’s Empire State Building at 1,250 feet in height. Yes, if you stood Utopia of the Seas next to the Empire State Building it would be almost the same height! Utopia is 211 feet wide, about ¾ the size of an American football field. It weighs in at 236,860 gross tons.
This is a massive ship.
Once we arrived and passed through security gates, we donned hard hats and began our guided tour by Royal Caribbean executives and employees, led by Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, who gave us a briefing on of the amount of detail and innovative design that goes into each Royal Caribbean ship.
Jay also led the tour of Utopia, During the tour at the shipyard, I witnessed the amount of detail and innovative design that goes into each Royal Caribbean ship. As a vacation brand that continues to set the bar for the overall industry, Jay showcased Utopia’s many elevated offerings designed to appeal to Royal Caribbean guests seeking premium and one-of-a-kind vacation experiences.
Utopia of the Seas is part of RCCL’s Oasis Class. They refer to Utopia of the Seas as “the world’s biggest short ship” given it is Royal Caribbean’s first Oasis Class ship designed exclusively for shorter vacations, specifically 3-night weekend and 4-night weekday getaways, versus the longer 7+ night sailings you typically see on ships of this size.
After more than two years of construction that began in April, 2022, Utopia of the Seas was about 90-percent completed during my tour. All staterooms were furnished. What we witnessed was an enormous amount of final finishing – painting, installation of lighting fixtures and casino gambling equipment, artwork and special displays, televisions and monitors, and food preparation equipment. We started at the bottom of the ship, to view employee and Senior Officer accommodations, including the Captain’s stateroom. We methodically went from floor to floor to witness final completion, and we were often re-routed from one end of the ship from floor to floor so we didn’t interrupt critical operations like final electrical wiring. It was a delicate dance, especially for me with my 6’9” frame, as I constantly had to duck to avoid low-hanging fixtures and warning signs. The on-board Safety Team was always at the ready to help coodinate and monitor the safety of the more than 890 workers on board.
One very cool part of our tour was visiting the fore and aft luxury suites.
With prices of about $100,000 for a full week cruise (pro-rated as Utopia currently is a three or four-day ship), these ultra-luxe suites are truly for the Pursuitist in all of us. With private balconies with hot tubs, comfy outdoor seating, and amazing views as these suites are on the four corners of Utopia.
Additional features include soaking tubs and dual-station separate showers, dual levels with sleeping quarters upstairs, and sliding boards for family suites, these are truly the crème de la crème of cruise ship luxury.
As a private boat owner, the best part of the tour was a visit to Utopia’s bridge where we met Captain Gus Andersson and members of his crew.
As one would expect, Utopia of the Seas is outfitted with nothing but the latest and best navigation, propulsion, and safety equipment. It was awesome to sit in Captain Andersson’s bridge chair and peer out at the Atlantic from the shipyard.
Thank you RCCL Team for a bucket-list experience!
Trans-Atlantic Crossing
To be fully staffed and ready the July 15-18 trade-media cruise, Utopia of the Seas, under the watchful eye of Captain Andersson, deadheaded to Port Canaveral from the Chantiers De L’Atlantique shipyard. It was 12 day journey, with all staff onboard prepping for the first cruise.
While on the trade-media-influencer cruise, I reunited with Hotel Director Catalin Buta, who I met in France, who said: “this was an opportunity for the crew to test the ship, so during the crossing, we were gradually opening the venues for the crew to enjoy as part of preparation for guest readiness.”
Seamless Processes
Once I arrived at the Orlando, Florida Airport, I followed signs in the baggage claim area for the Royal Caribbean check-in desk. At the desk, I received a motorcoach number, quickly boarded the bus, and was on my way to Port Canaveral. Our courteous driver pointed out landmarks along the 45 minute ride, including Cape Canaveral, where NASA launches rockets and spaceships.
At the Utopia of the Seas dock, it was a fast process to board. The well-orchestrated process included passing through security, and proceeding to the boarding ramps with the help of super courteous staff. The boarding process took less than. ten minutes, as Royal Caribbean has the boarding process down pat.
We were greeted by a Caribbean band and dancers, and welcome champagne from Utopia staff.
Again, this is the second largest cruise ship in the world, a scant 11 feet shorter than Icon of the Seas.
There are 18 total decks, with 2,834 staterooms. With double occupancy, Utopia of the Seas can accommodate up to 5,668 passengers. Combine that with 2,290 crew aboard, and it’s literally a floating small town. Utopia’s crew hails from more than 100 nations.
Of course, a cruise on the July 15-18 maiden media/Influencer/trade sailing was special. The official customer cruise took place on June 19th. As stated a bit earlier in this story, Utopia of the Seas offers two short itineraries: Four days/three nights, and weekend (Friday-Sunday) cruises from Port Canaveral. RCCL ships also offer longer cruises from seven days on. The port also is home to several other cruise lines, with two of the ships looking like dinghy’s next to Utopia of the Seas!
At 7 p.m. on July 15th, we set sail. This big ship was so smooth the only clue that we were moving was the prolonged single departure horn sounding, and watching shoreline go by.
Our first evening included a media welcome event with CEO Michael Bayley; Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider; Lyan Sierra-Caro, Director of Global Public Relations; Brand PR & Media Relations Manager Celia de La Llama; and the Ketchum Agency team including Aaron Kokoruz who invited Pursuitist to both the shipyard in France and the media cruise in Port Canaveral.
I capped off the first evening exploring the ship, bar hopping, and enjoying the ocean and moon from the upper deck.
Day Two: Enjoying the Finished Product!
There was so much to do on Utopia of the Seas! Honestly, there is no way you could experience all the mega-ship has to offer in a three or four-day cruise, but I tried!
Utopia brings unmatched weekend energy to everyone, with a combination of ways to celebrate any occasion or just getting away. On deck are more than 40 ways to dine, drink and party, including a lineup of parties only on Utopia, two casinos, and a new Caribbean tiki bar – The Pesky Parrot.
A very unique dining experience is available at Royal Railway – Utopia Station, a first-of-its-kind immersive train car dining experience. The Royal Railway features seating for 24 people in each of two cars, including two seatings for a 90 minute experience called the Wild West. Other very cool experiences include Marco Polo on the Silk Road, Orient Express, or taking you to Napa Valley for wine and to Scotland for scotch.
A Truly Perfect Day
On day three of the cruise, we sailed to one of Royal Caribbean’s private islands, CocoCay. The theme of CocoCay is “The Perfect Day.” We moored next to Vision of the Seas, which looked comically small beside Utopia.
Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas is set to redefine private island destinations. After a $250 million transformation, Perfect Day is the ultimate combination of thrill and chill. This unrivaled private island, only available to Royal Caribbean guests, provides an array of distinct adventures and iconic features from, the tallest waterslide in North America, Daredevil’s Peak to Oasis Lagoon, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean — one-of-a-kind experiences that will top any bucket list, including rides in Up, Up & Away a hot air balloon that rises to heights taller than the Statue of Liberty!
My choice for The Perfect Day was Hideaway Beach. Hideaway Beach is for adults only, and offers a covered beach loungers, a walk up pool bar, private cabanas, amazing food and drink options including delicious coconut shrimp and more. CocoCay is fully staffed, and we had a ball. I was there for almost nine hours and didn’t want to leave.
If you have kids, there are plenty of activities for them as well. It was a blast to see CEO Michael Bayley walking on the bar top armed with a champagne “gun,” delivering Moet to wide open mouths soaking in the pool bar area. To see that passion from the top of RCCL was super cool!
Back aboard Utopia after a great day, I continued to explore each deck. My faves were Central Park on Deck 8, which offers plenty of live plants and trees, the Trellis and Rising Tide Bars, and Music Hall to enjoy music along with your favorite cocktail; and the Pool and Sports Zone on Decks 15 & 16 where you can enjoy a bevy of waterslide and kids water play areas, in water chaise lounges, killer DJ music with dancers, and bars galore offering your favorite island cocktails. Don’t want to sit out in the blazing sun? Utopia offers scores of covered lounge seating. If you get too hot, cool off in transparent, elevated “Plunge Pools,” where you can oversee the DJ spinning across the pools.
Decks 4, 5, 6 and 12 also have unique attractions and activities. Deck 4 features “The Attic,” where you can get your laugh on at this adults-only comedy club. Love to gamble? “Casino Royale” offers smoking and non-smoking areas with table games and the latest high-tech slot machines.
Decks 5 , A.K.A. “The Royal Promenade” offers Karaoke, the Pesky Parrot Tiki Bar, Boleros, with outstanding live music, and Bell & Barley Bar, which also features live music. At Bell & Barley, I really enjoyed the music of Stephen Marks each night.
Deck 6 also features “The Boardwalk” with Coney Island style restaurants, sports bars and a carousel, a rock climbing wall, the longest dry slide at sea – The Ultimate Abyss – to the signature FlowRider surf simulator.
There’s also an amphitheater on Deck 6, where a massive party was kicked off Monday with Grammy-winning artist and songwriter Meghan Trainor, where she appeared on center stage to name the new vacation ship and perform her hits in front of a packed amphitheater. The performance was also shown on high-definition screens on the pool deck.
Late nights are great nights aboard Utopia, as there are great night clubs, music venues and roaming Utopia dancers throughout the night. One evening on deck 4, dancers performed to hits like YMCA and Michael Jackson tunes. Cruise goers also got into the mix, dancing on the deck and having an awesome time. And yes, hot, delicious pizza was just an arms length away!
On departure day, the process was as seamless as the boarding process. We were given specific times to depart in groups, and the U.S. Customs and Immigration process only took five minutes. We then boarded motor coaches for the return to the Orlando Airport.
Thank you Team Utopia!
I want to give special thanks to all of the Utopia of the Seas Team. From top to bottom, from room attendant, to greeters, to bartenders and wait staff, everyone was super kind and super professional. I felt welcomed and appreciated no matter where I was on the ship.
Band of Brothers- Normandy, France
What an amazing experience in France and on the media cruise from Port Canaveral. The folks I met from Royal Caribbean are wonderful, dedicated people, and a bond developed with many of them.
At the suggestion of Senior Human Resources Business Partner Robert Hines, while I was in Saint-Nazaire, I traveled to Normandy, France with RCCL executives Darren Budden, Director of Product Development, Andrew Trabosh, Director of Product Development Food & Beverages, and Scott Mitchum, Senior Manager Product Development to witness the assembly of world leaders, military and civilian survivors, historians and people from all around the world to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion at the beaches in Normandy that helped to end World War II in the European Theater.
It was about a four hour drive each way from my hotel, the Hôtel Barrière Le Royal in La Baule, and the four of us really bonded. We talked about life and family, and how blessed we all are to be alive and healthy.
The scene on the roads close to Normandy were pretty amazing. There are many private groups and owners of WWII military vehicles, including the famous Jeeps, which were literally everywhere on roads near Normandy. We stopped for a bit to eat and the parking lot was full of vintage WWII Jeeps and transporters.
While at lunch, I met a group of veterans from the famed 82nd Airborne Unit, who were in Normandy to perform ceremonial parachute jumps onto the beaches each day leading up to and during the official commemoration on June 8. It was great to meet some fellow Americans and I thanked them for their service and participation in the historic remembrance.
Omaha Beach
It was incredibly powerful and emotional to stand on historic Omaha Beach with my Band of Brothers. We also visited museums and the burial ground of the American soldiers who lost their lives during the fateful battle. Thank you Darren, Andrew and Scott for your hospitality and camaraderie.
RIP Grant McKenzie
Finally, I want to send my condolences to Robert Hines who I met onboard Utopia at the shipyard in France. Robert is Senior Human Resources Business Partner for RCCL, and it’s easy to see why he leads hiring for the brand. Robert and I instantly connected, as his super-positive energy was immediately felt. I was the only journalist present during my tour, and Robert made sure I had everything I needed in the Utopia Command Center during my tour. Robert is another member of my RCCL Band of Brothers. The entire RCCL team made me feel like family.
I was so looking forward to reconnecting with Robert during the media cruise, and I reached out to him as soon as I boarded the cruise in Port Canaveral.
Sadly, Robert’s Uncle Grant McKenzie passed and he was with family during the cruise.
To honor Robert and his family during a difficult time, I dedicate this story of my epic Royal Caribbean experiences in France and onboard Utopia of the Seas to Grant McKenzie.
RIP Uncle Grant…
