Royal Caribbean is hiring up to 10,000 employees worldwide to staff its ships and private destinations this year as demand for ocean cruises reaches new records.
The number of cruise passengers will reach a record high in 2023, and the demand for labor is increasing due to rapidly increasing demand and larger ships.
Tourism boards and port operators around the world said Royal Caribbean already has nearly 100,000 employees and is looking to hire around the world.
The company confirmed to Reuters that it plans to hire about 10,000 employees this year.
The company had a total of about 88,700 maritime employees (including cruise ship staff) last year, down 6% from the previous year, according to the company’s annual report.
Meanwhile, the company’s shore-based workforce (mainly comprised of port operations and head office operations), including private destinations, totaled approximately 9,500 full-time employees as of 2023, an increase of 17% year-on-year.
“The hiring strategy is in line with our business strategy of gradual capacity expansion,” a company spokesperson told Reuters.
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) was reportedly approached by Royal Caribbean about recruiting and hiring in April, but had not previously received one, according to BVI Ports Authority marketing director Natasha Chalwell. It was a request.
But the cruise giant isn’t just focused on the Caribbean. The company also approached West Africa’s Gambia Tourism Authority in April with interest in hiring more workers, a spokesperson said.
For reference, Royal Caribbean currently employs approximately 700 workers from within the country, the smallest number on mainland Africa.
Royal Caribbean’s hiring spree comes at a time when the company is adding three new ships to its fleet, company officials added.
Earlier this year, the company debuted the world’s largest cruise ship, called Icon of the Seas.
The $2 billion behemoth reportedly lived up to the hype surrounding its launch, including talk of it boasting 20 floors and eight different neighborhoods.
At full capacity, Icon of the Seas can accommodate approximately 10,000 passengers and crew, who can enjoy the 17,000 square foot onboard water park or make upscale reservations at the 38-seat Empire Supper Club (8-course dinner). I can. Enjoy cocktail pairings and live jazz music.
All the while, the giant ship continues its week-long voyage from Miami to Caribbean destinations such as Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Cozumel, Mexico.
In July, Utopia of the Seas will sail every Friday and Monday from Port Canaveral, Florida to Perfect Day in CocoCay, Bahamas.
The upcoming ship will accommodate up to 5,668 guests and feature 21 restaurants, five pools, ziplines, an ice skating rink, a basketball court and two rock climbing walls.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas is scheduled to set sail in the summer of 2025.
The company’s website touts the ship as having “six record-breaking waterslides” and “seven splash pools,” in addition to “more than 40 types of food and beverages.”
Royal Caribbean announced a record number of bookings for the first quarter of 2024, with quarterly revenue increasing 29% to $3.73 billion.
At the same time, the Miami-based company’s stock has doubled in the past year, hitting a new record.
