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MIAMI, Apr. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) and a

visionary strategist of the modern cruise industry, died Saturday, April 11,

2020, in Palma, Spain. He was 90. The entire Royal Caribbean family extends its

heartfelt condolences to the Wilhelmsen family.

Wilhelmsen was a constant influence on the company from its founding, serving

more than three decades on the company's board of directors. Together with the

company's first CEO, the late Edwin Stephan, Wilhelmsen saw possibilities for

the nascent cruise industry that others did not.

"At a time when the rest of the world thought cruising was a niche use for old

transatlantic liners, Arne was already seeing glimmers of the growth that was

possible," said Richard Fain, RCL's chairman and CEO. "He had a vision of the

modern cruise industry when the 'industry' might have been a dozen used ships,

total."

Their key insight: building new ships uniquely designed for cruising in warm

weather. The industry did not grow from New York, the traditional transit hub;

it came to Miami, helping the region itself grow as the public discovered an

entirely new way to take a vacation.

Wilhelmsen saw the potential for cruising to become the fastest growing segment

in a growing vacation industry. A believer in economies of scale, he once

recalled, "My initial challenge was to convince my partners and management in

Miami to build bigger and more efficient ships in order to grow the company."

True to his vision, the company now sails 61 ships calling on all seven

continents and its fleet features the largest cruise ships in the world.

Born on June 15, 1929, in Oslo, Norway, Wilhelmsen earned his MBA at Harvard

Business School and worked as a chartering assistant for Norway's EB Lund & Co.

and later as a shipbroker in New York. After joining the family business in

1954, he became its president in 1961. The scion of a leading Norwegian

shipping concern – Anders Wilhelmsen & Co AS – he spent most of his life in the

family business, including an early stint as a deckhand.

"Arne was a steady presence and source of wisdom on our board for decades,"

Fain said. "And in 2003, when he was ready to step back, he was succeeded on

the RCL board by his son, Alex, who has carried the involvement of the

Wilhelmsen family in charting our company's course into its sixth decade. Our

high standards as a company, our insistence on excellence in operations and

design, and our determination to persevere all owe a great deal to the

long-term vision of Arne, Alex and the Wilhelmsen family. We salute our friend,

and we will miss him dearly."

About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is

a global cruise vacation company that controls and operates four global brands:

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea

Cruises. We are also a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises

and a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together these

brands operate a combined total of 61 ships with an additional 17 on order as

of December 31, 2019. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that

call on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on:

www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamara.com,

www.silversea.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or

www.rclinvestor.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677715/RCL_Logo.jpg

SOURCE: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

CONTACT: Media: Corporatecommunications@rccl.com