ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT
Royal Caribbean Group, hereinafter “Company”, is the world’s second largest cruise company. We wholly own and operate three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Through these brands, the Company operates a large and diverse fleet of ships on a selection of worldwide itineraries that call on hundreds of destinations across all seven continents.
This statement was prepared pursuant to the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015, Australia’s Modern Slavery Act of 2018, and Canada’s recent Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, as applicable, for the financial year ending December 31, 2023. It is published on behalf of the Company and its wholly owned brands.
The statement is signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and approved bythe Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. A signed copy is available upon request.
Our Commitment
We endorse the principles contained in the United Nations’ (“UN”) Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Labour Organization’s (“ILO”) core conventions on labour standards, and we pledged our support in 2019 to the UN Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business. We are committed to respecting human rights and core labour principles in our business operations, and we approach and undertake this
Our Business
We are a diverse Company doing business with equally diverse customers, suppliers, business partners, and third parties, and we value the backgrounds and experiences brought to our Company therefrom. Together, we foster an inclusive environment where we treat each other with respect and dignity and in a manner consistent with the Company’s values.
We place a high priority on conducting our business in compliance with the law and in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics. The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) sets forth the Company’s values and governs the ethical and legal conduct of our employees across our global operations, including our commitment to human rights and core labour principles and our condemnation of human trafficking and all forms of forced and child labour. All employees are trained on, and certify compliance with, the Code upon commencement of employment and at regular intervals thereafter. The Code, updated in 2023, is reviewed on an annual basis and is approved by our Board of Directors. We also provide specific content training on modern slavery to targeted employees within supply chain and other functions in the organization.
Our Supply Chain
Our supply chain consists of suppliers servicing our newbuild, shipboard hotel and marine and shoreside operations. We are committed to transparent relationships with our suppliers. We act ethically and comply with the laws applicable to where we conduct business, and we expect that our suppliers do the same in their business operations, including their dealings with their own suppliers and for the Company. These expectations and requirements are stated in the Company’s Supplier Code of Conduct (“Supplier Code”). The Supplier Code replaced and updated our Supplier Guiding Principles in 2023.
The Supplier Code also states our expectation that suppliers make the same commitment to human rights and core labour principles as we do by providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees, prohibiting all forms of forced and child labour, ensuring compliance with applicable wage and hour laws, promoting a diverse workplace free from harassment, discrimination, and abuse, and respecting legal rights on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Our purchase order terms and conditions with suppliers incorporate these expectations and reserve our right to inspect and audit records related to the supplier relationship to ensure obligations have been/are being met. We use a risk-based approach to manage our supplier relationships, including due diligence and internal processes, procedures, and controls. Periodic risk assessments of our business operations guide this approach.
Group Structure
We operate in the U.K. through our RCL Cruises Ltd., and in Australia through a branch office of the same.
Our Silversea Cruises brand operates in the U.K. through Silversea Cruises (UK) Ltd. and in Australia through Silversea Cruises Australia Pty. Ltd. Silversea Cruises is in the process of further integrating their supply chain and associated processes and procedures as above.
Reporting
We encourage employees and suppliers to report known or suspected illegal and unethical conduct or activities to certain designated contacts, including our Global Compliance and Ethics Group or through the Company’s Compliance and Ethics AWARE (“Address Wrongdoing As Responsible Employees”) Hotline, which is accessible by phone or the Internet, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. More information about the Company’s Compliance and Ethics AWARE Hotline can be found in Our Code, Supplier Code, our corporate website, and at rclaware.ethicspoint.com. Reports are reviewed, and investigations and actions are taken when appropriate.
The above processes are periodically reviewed and/or updated to ensure they remain appropriate and effective.