As I have written before, Maine is a wonderful place. Fortunately not everyone takes up my recommendation to visit Maine because if they did there would be about 20 million people here during the summer. If you have never been here, you should try it, at a minimum on one of our New England cruises that stop at Portland and/or Bar Harbor.
People like to ask me if I can relax on vacation. The answer is yes but there is always work to do. Plus on this vacation I have to put a lot of time into rehabilitating my injured right calf muscle. The emails don’t stop – about 200 or so arrive reliably every day. This summer there have been a lot more emails than mosquitoes but no conference calls so far.
This week is particularly special as our “vacation gang” of law school friends has joined us. As I write this, everyone but me is hiking around Camden while I watch the Olympics. I wanted to hike too but my wife sensibly prohibited me from hiking up a hill on my recovering leg. Our group of up to 30 parents and children has gone somewhere together every other year beginning in 1996: Nantucket, Nag’s Head, Dordogne, Alaska cruise, Tuscany, Salmon River rafting, Portugal, Turkey and Maine. Two of the children have now graduated college which creates a whole new dynamic. One was too busy to join us, the other is working harder on vacation than any of the parents. This is our favorite week of every two years.
Hope that the leg will soon heal and then you can get back to your running. I have to say that I do not write directly to many CEO’s, in fact you are the only one, but have to say you have always taken the time to reply, even at weekends and so I am sure that vacation time is no different. Thanks Adam and enjoy the rest of your time away from the office.
Thank you, Helen, your message was very much appreciated.
Glad to see a family that plays together. That is such a special thing. Take care of that leg.
Thank you both, Charles and Arlene.
I was reading your email of all your vacation destinations. Out of curiosity, I was wondering what Salmon River you rafted on. We live 20 minutes from the Salmon River in Central New York which is known for its rafting. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence, but my wife encouraged me to find out. By the way, we’ve cruised on your ships in the Caribbean 14 times and enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely, jack palmer
Hello Jack, we rafted down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed sailing onboard our ships and we hope to have you back in the Caribbean soon. Thank you.
As it’s hard for some to totally get away for a week – nearly impossible in today’s world, what do cruise lines offer to combat this? I know it’s common to have a bank of computers passengers can use for a fee, but I can only assume the costs of internet time on the cruise ships adds up – especially at 200 emails a day.
It would be a lot easier to get away on a cruise if I knew I would be able to have free wifi access so I could check emails from the lido deck, the casino, or wherever I’m enjoying my time by simply checking my Ipod or phone … like I would at an all-inclusive resort.
In sales, communication is key to keep the pipeline flowing. Without access I can’t even consider a cruise. Would I pay extra for unlimited wifi on the cruise? Maybe a few dollars a day, but a resort doesn’t ask me to pay more so I wouldn’t be happy about it.
We appreciate your suggestion, Bob. Thank you for your comment and we will be sure to keep it in mind for the future.
My first cruise was in 2003 from Porto Ricco with Royal Carribean, I have to say that this was the experience of a lifetime! I felt as if I had stepped into another world and I was awed by the staff, the colorful yet empressive decor of my room and the entire ship right down to the elevators! Since that time my husband has cruised many times to different Islands. I reccomend Royal Carribbean to friends, family and aquaintences. Please keep up the elegant service and accomondations! We wouldn’t want anything to change! Thank You and your staff for their Great Service to/for my Husband and Myself.
Respectfully.
Kenneth L. Hall Jr. and Zoeann Nightingale Hall
Kenneth and Zoeann, we appreciate your kind words. We’re happy to hear you are both Royal Caribbean advocates and are looking forward to having you back onboard again in the future.
I hope to be able to take a nice vacation again , It has been a rough year a job loss and an car accident all in one year,
I hope to be able to take a cruise on one of your ships soon A nice cruise would be so relaxing
My first cruise was with Princess Cruises line . I love it . For my birthday on January 13 , 2011 my hubby booked in the (ruby) . It was great to spend my birthday on the ship.Have to live our second life . A new start since the girls have left home. The girls have finish university their BA therfore now it time that we get married after 25 years of living togeather.
My mariage is taking place in Quebec city at Château Frontenac on the 25 th of august 2012.then on one month vacation package. By the way , I can`t wait for our special moment. Michelle Kwan was my idol in the skating world, But never had a chance to meet her. Helena
Congratulations, Helena. Thank you for your comment.
Hi Kelly, we hope to see you on a cruise soon as well.
There is certainly something to be said for a work-free vacation. I recently took a vacation that required quite a bit of work and it created too much stress trying to “fit it all in”. I’m looking forward to our RC cruise this October because I won’t have access to everything. It will be a peaceful get-away from all things work and I’ll just have time for my family and my kids. It’s one of the many beauties of cruising for me. While the Wi-Fi idea is quite enticing, the peace of being able to shut the computer off for a week is very regenerating for a creative person like me. Thank you for the work you do and all the RC employees and I can’t wait to sail away (for the third time)!
We look forward to having you back onboard, Alison, and we appreciate your comment.