Royal Caribbean Cruises to Recruit 30K Filipino Crew
MANILA: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), the world’s largest cruising company, has announced that it will be recruiting 30,000 Filipino crew members over the next five years as it goes on an expansion spree from the existing 11,000 staff, media reports said.
RCL has got into a joint venture with Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC) to establish a new manning office in Manila, reported Manila Bulletin.
“We have two things going on — fleet expansion and nine ships on order and that will continue and we are building our base here we will now be doing many functions here,” the visiting RCL Chairman and CEO Richard D Fain was quoted as saying.
Under the partnership, PTC will be in charge primarily for the recruitment side and the streamlined processes. RCL will be providing the skills training and education upgrading to new recruits and career advancement of existing crew, the report said.
Fain, however, refused to divulge investments for the expanded partnership with PTC, it added.
The joint venture will also set a second training facility at the Mall of Asia from the existing training facility in Maragondon, Cavite. The training facility will open on May 6 this year. The new offices will offer At Sea employees a streamlined recruitment system, in a modern setting, aimed at building the company’s visibility and building stronger awareness for its various brands. According to Fain, they will continue to hire engineering and maritime staff but they will also beef up recruitments for hospitality workers to provide service to its 5 million passengers, said the news portal.
“The idea is that we will simplify their lives in the process of coming and going back to ships,” he added.
RCL has a current fleet of 44 cruise ships cruising to 404 different ports. Fain also said they are looking at Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong, adding that they have been working with the Philippines’ Department of Tourism for the possible inclusion of the country in its Asian routes, Manila Bulletin reported.
According to Fain, RCL has prioritized the hiring of Filipino crew members because they are suited for hospitality jobs. Fain reportedly cited the Filipinos “infectious happiness” while providing excellent service and great experiences to passengers.