Royal Caribbean Commits Support to World Vision’s Disaster Response in Philippines

SEATTLE, WA — Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) has pledged to support World Vision’s relief efforts in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the storm,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “More than 12,800 of our employees call the Philippines home. We want to do everything we can to help them, their families, and their neighbors heal from this terrible tragedy.”

The official death toll from the storm stands at more than 1,700 people, with up to 2,500 feared dead and about 600,000 displaced, after Typhoon Haiyan left a wake of utter destruction over the weekend.

World Vision is launching one of its largest relief operations in the country’s history, mobilizing staff across the country to respond to nearly 400,000 people affected by the disaster. World Vision has launched a multi-million dollar fundraising appeal to help meet the needs of the response.

Royal Caribbean has committed to donate $250K to World Vision’s disaster response in the Philippines, as part of an overall commitment of $1M in Philippines support. Since the storm, Royal Caribbean has taken steps to help crew members onboard all of its cruise brands’ ships attempt to communicate with relatives in the Philippines. Company executives also held a special meeting Monday morning with more than 200 Filipino crew members aboard Vision of the Seas, which was docked near the company’s headquarters in Miami, to let them know that more would be done, including matching contributions from employees dollar-for-dollar. Royal Caribbean also is providing its guests and travel agent community a way to donate to the cause with a gift to World Vision through a World Vision web page branded with the logos of Royal Caribbean’s six cruise brands.

World Vision’s first relief flight loaded with critical emergency supplies arrived in Manila Monday. The Lufthansa flight included 5,000 blankets and 3,000 tarpaulins (plastic sheets) that will be used to help survivors build temporary shelters.

Power outages plus the destruction of major roads, airports and infrastructure have made it incredibly difficult to reach survivors to provide urgently-needed assistance and get a clearer picture of the total devastation. Teams are traveling by plane, boat and motorbike to reach these villages as quickly as possible.

Right now, the most urgent needs are water and sanitation, food, temporary shelter, child protection and psychosocial support.
How to Help

• Text the word HOPE to 777444 to donate $10 to World Vision’s relief efforts
• Make an online donation to the Philippines Disaster Response Fund
• Call 1-888-562-4453 (1-888-56-CHILD)

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/press or on Twitter at @WorldVisionNews.

About Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture. Together, these six brands operate a combined total of 41 ships with four under construction. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 460 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, www.cdfcroisieresdefrance.com, www.tuicruises.com, or www.rclinvestor.com.