Royal Caribbean Group Launches New Program to Assist Travel Advisors

The Royal Caribbean Group announced Tuesday it has launched a dedicated program created to assist thousands of travel agents and advisors in the United States deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

The program, dubbed RCL Cares, will offer a variety of services to help educate travel partners as they navigate government benefits available to agents and advisors in America, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.

Royal Caribbean’s services include one-on-one assistance and access to critical resources about recovery benefits available under the CARES act. While the RCL Cares program will not provide legal advice, it will offer a resource desk to provide educational material and answer questions.

“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,” Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain said in a statement. “Our travel partner community is hurting, and help can’t come too soon.”

“Any piece of legislation can be challenging to understand, and we want our travel advisors to receive all the financial assistance available to them,” Fain continued. “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.”

To access the RCL Cares program, advisors and agents must visit CruisingPower.com, where they can access highlights of the CARES Act, FAQs, Small Business Association resources and tips.

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact cruise lines, several of the top companies in the industry have extended the suspension of all voyages, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, Disney, Seabourn and more.