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Royal Caribbean Launches Voluntourism Program
by Diana Miller on June 23, 2010 |
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Royal Caribbean International is starting a voluntourism program for guests on Oasis of the Seas, which, if successful, will be expanded to other areas. In a blog posting, Craig Milan, senior vice president-land operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said the program begins in Cozumel. The company has partnered with select tour operators and the Mexican Chapter of the Red Cross to offer guests the chance to contribute their time with several projects. As part of a beautification project, guests will assist with the planting of trees and shrubs at the local chapter’s new facility. The four-hour “Voluntourism: The Mexican Red Cross Landscaping Project” is available for sale online as well as onboard through this summer. The $50 price of the tour covers the materials needed for the landscaping and transportation to the facility with the remaining proceeds donated to the Cozumel chapter of the Mexican Red Cross.
In the near future, Oasis of the Seas guests also will have the opportunity to contribute to the communities of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (from the port of St. Thomas, USVI) and in Labadee, Haiti.
The line and its guests also support charities in other destinations. Guests sailing on Brilliance of the Seas who purchase a shuttle bus pass in Venice also will receive a Chorus Pass ticket, a $13-per-person value, which provides entrance to 16 churches in Venice. The Chorus Association, a non-profit, will reinvest the funds from Royal Caribbean’s purchase of the Chorus Pass tickets in the restoration and maintenance of the churches.
Guests sailing on Splendour of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Vision of the Seas who visit Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey and participate in select full-day tours will have a tree planted near the House of Mary in their honor and will receive a certificate to this effect. This project is focused on the re-forestation of this critical historical site.
In Juneau, Alaska, guests sailing on Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas can purchase the “Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure” tour and participate in a monitored citizen science program while viewing the likes of whales, seals, porpoises, sea lions and sea birds in their natural habitat. This tour provides guests with hands-on experience collecting water samples, trawling for plankton, and recording animal behaviors. For more information, give us a call 800-888-7025.
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