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Source: Oceana
Wednesday October 29, 10:03 am ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceana today officially launched a national pledge campaign encouraging citizens to tell Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (NYSE: RCL - News) that they will not spend their vacation dollars with the company until it ends its practice of dumping inadequately treated sewage into the oceans. Specifically, the pledge calls on Royal Caribbean to upgrade its entire cruise fleet with advanced wastewater treatment technology and submit to
independent, third party monitoring and testing.

With the campaign just underway, Oceana has already gathered more than 30,000 new pledges from citizens across the nation, with a goal of securing at least 100,000 to present to Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean, by early next year. Dana DuBose, Oceana's Cruise
Pollution Campaign Director, described it as the start of a broader effort to educate consumers about Royal Caribbean's disregard for the pristine ocean waters and sealife that it highlights in its
advertising.

"We've heard from angry citizens from one coast to the other," said DuBose. "We're focusing that outrage and showing Royal Caribbean that they will not continue to get away with harming the very oceans on which their profits depend."

"I was planning to check out cruises as an option for a vacation next year, but I won't even consider supporting an industry that destroys the very beauty that enables its operation," said pledge signer Elizabeth Freel of Culver City, California.

Royal Caribbean's 26-ship cruise fleet produces millions of gallons of wastewater every day, which are legally dumped into the ocean. The company has installed advanced wastewater treatment facilities only on their three Alaska-bound ships, Alaska being the only state that requires the advanced systems, but refuses to upgrade the remainder of the fleet.

"Royal Caribbean will be taking a huge gamble if it chooses to ignore this public outcry and continue with business as usual," said Reed Bolton Byrum, a leading corporate governance authority. "A campaign like this can do great damage to a company's reputation, and Royal Caribbean's shareholder value could easily be affected for the worse."

Earlier this year, senior representatives from Oceana and Royal Caribbean discussed a series of cost-effective pollution prevention actions that Royal Caribbean could take, monitored by a third party, to ensure that no raw or inadequately treated sewage is discharged into the ocean. Royal Caribbean ended the talks, however, refusing to
upgrade their fleet even though estimates indicate that treating all of their waste with advanced systems would cost no more than the equivalent of a can of cola per passenger per day over a five-year period.

The pledge campaign kicks-off this week with public events in Chicago, Miami and Portland, Maine. Citizens interested in joining or learning
more about Oceana's campaign are encouraged to call Oceana headquarters toll-free at 1-877-7-OCEANA, or visit the website at www.oceana.org.

Oceana is a non-profit international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world's oceans through policy advocacy, science, law and public education. Founded in 2001, Oceana's constituency includes members and activists from more than 150 countries and territories who are committed to saving the world's
marine environment. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Oceana has additional offices in key U.S. coastal areas, a South American office in Santiago, Chile, and a European office in Madrid, Spain. For more information, please visit www.Oceana.org.

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Seriously, I have gotten e-mails from them asking TravelPage.com to promote their cause. I am all for keeping the oceans clean but am not sure why they are only targeting Royal Caribbean. Are they they only cruise line that lacks the high end water treatment systems?

Keep in mind, Royal Caribbean is complying with all of the exising rules and regulations, Oceana just wants them to go beyond what is called for and install better equipment on their fleet.

They should care enough to go beyond them (and the international organization responsible for making the regulations should be lobbied hard to make them stonger). I also think the ENTIRE industry should elevate themselves to a standard higher than the regulations.

However, in the Good 'Ole USA and the Corporate World, the bottom line, the Almighty Dollar (which is capatalism's and Corporate America's *true* God is more important than nature, the environment, even the safety of people's lives (in other examples). Unchecked capitalism is pathetic.

There may be more than one reason why only RC is being targeted - at this point. Maybe they are the most egregious violators, or maybe they are the biggest violator with the biggest name. That's very important: How big is the name of the the company you wish to focus your efforts on? Carnival Corp has a bigger name, but perhaps with it's multitude of brands, would have made the campaign more difficult, because it would be confusing to people on who to boycott. As long as one BIG company is made an example of, that's the main thing to get the point across. RC represents a good combination of Big Name recognition and focusability in the campaign since they consist of just RCCL and Celebrity. Not to mention that their commercials on television are more ubiquitous than any other cruise line, so their Big Name is foremost in the minds of consumers. Why RCCL was targeted is all about the most efficient campaign strategy.

[ 10-30-2003: Message edited by: CGT ]

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

I suppose the campaign picks RCI the same way that McDonald’s are blamed for the rest of the world’s problems? (Good news for Burger King and KFC).

Should pressure groups not attempt to force the government to impose strickter regulations? You can hardly expect a business to over comply with legislation?

I wonder if all the sewage from out Cities, expelled into our rivers, always meet the required standards? Are these standards strict enough?

I hope those 30,000 do not drive or fly to thier vacations?

[ 10-31-2003: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

[ 10-31-2003: Message edited by: ScottQE2 ]

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Originally posted by Grant:
Earlier this year, senior representatives from Oceana and Royal Caribbean discussed ....... Royal Caribbean ended the talks.......

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[ 10-30-2003: Message edited by: soundsailor ]

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Originally posted by petede:

CGT, believe or not it is not "American Corporate greed", RCI is a publicly traded company here in the US as well as Norway, so it is not really just an American company.

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I did in fact say "Corporate World" and later, "Corporate America/World"

[ 10-30-2003: Message edited by: CGT ]

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Originally posted by soundsailor:
A zero discharge policy would be great, but big profits do matter more than the enviroment to most CEO's.

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[ 11-05-2003: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

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Originally posted by Aussie1:
CGT wrote "especially the "Christian" ones - out there of any nation, who support Corporate America/World and then go Bible thumping in this country or any other talking about "God" and "Faith" and their "Values"- haha that's a good one "

What is this rubbish appearing on Cruisepage for??? To link capitalism, environmental neglect and Christianity is absurd. People of all sorts, backgrounds and creeds work for big business and in my big corporation I say thank God there are some Christians. I also wonder how many big coastal cities dump out sewage at the same or worse standard than cruise ships do, here in Sydney Australia very little treatment of city sewage occurs, we just send it out mildly treated in a 5 mile long pipe and dump it in the Pacific Ocean. Cruise ships are far cleaner than that!

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You totally miss the point. First there is what Desirod said. Then also I said in my original post that the Dollar is the "true God" of corporate America/World. Right Wingers tend to support Corporate America/World from top to bottom unconditionally, like the Republicans in this country, and many of them (like our "President") also bible thump about "God". What I was saying is that to the Corporate World they support unconditionally, MONEY is their true God. Like Cheney. And Halliburton. And....

Oh but by the way unchecked capitalism, and environmental neglect DO go hand in hand, and it's the Right Wingers (many who also like to loud mouth about "God" and "Christians" and "Faith") who support Corporate America/World and their policies/agendas.

[ 10-31-2003: Message edited by: CGT ]

They should care enough to go beyond them (and the international organization responsible for making the regulations should be lobbied hard to make them stonger). I also think the ENTIRE industry should elevate themselves to a standard higher than the regulations.

However, in the Good 'Ole USA and the Corporate World, the bottom line, the Almighty Dollar (which is capatalism's and Corporate America's *true* God [and that's for all the right wing conservatives - especially the "Christian" ones - out there of any nation, who support Corporate America/World and then go Bible thumping in this country or any other talking about "God" and "Faith" and their "Values"- haha that's a good one - ala GWB]) is more important than nature, the environment, even the safety of people's lives (in other examples). Unchecked capitalism is pathetic.

There may be more than one reason why only RC is being targeted - at this point. Maybe they are the most egregious violators, or maybe they are the biggest violator with the biggest name. That's very important: How big is the name of the the company you wish to focus your efforts on? Carnival Corp has a bigger name, but perhaps with it's multitude of brands, would have made the campaign more difficult, because it would be confusing to people on who to boycott. As long as one BIG company is made an example of, that's the main thing to get the point across. RC represents a good combination of Big Name recognition and focusability in the campaign since they consist of just RCCL and Celebrity. Not to mention that their commercials on television are more ubiquitous than any other cruise line, so their Big Name is foremost in the minds of consumers. Why RCCL was targeted is all about the most efficient campaign strategy.

[ 10-31-2003: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

Big mony is the reason and the infeltration off the industry and financial institiutes is the reason.
The don't look at nature yes the speak about it buth do nothing. The are more interesting in how to make mony over the backs off nature and the man in the street.

No it's not a surprice that RCL and other shipping compagny's are reluctain't fore invest in the last inverioment protecting technic's fore there fleet. Look at the many sea dissasters wich oil tankers around the world. And no restricting new laws are add after this dissasters. Yes there are chance in distances wich ships must be sailed in aprocing and leaving harbours. And one walled thankers are forbidden over a certain times. So protest is in place.

Buth a protest must started also out off passengers off the cruise lines. Ask what youre line do to protect nature. Iff you see things happen what is not good (the Princess case a few years ago) report. Ask questions. We must make it difficult fore them to ignore. I believe that we the passenger are not ask questions about nature and protecting.

""I was planning to check out cruises as an option for a vacation next year, but I won't even consider supporting an industry that destroys the very beauty that enables its operation," said pledge signer Elizabeth Freel of Culver City, California."

I was planning to check out cruises as an option, darn it, lost out on another Carnival Cruiser...

Good greif, RCCL is on the fore-front of the industry developing newer, more efficent ships. If we did everything these people wanted we would be vacationing in our backyard in a tent (no TV as that would require electricity from evil coal burning power plants and no camp fire as that would flare up my neighbors asthma).

Bigger issues in the world to deal with folks, really!

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Now back to cruise liners, our common denominator.................................

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Originally posted by vivavegas:

Bigger issues in the world to deal with folks, really!

MKE

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Gee I just love it when people make this shortsighted comment.

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Originally posted by gohaze:
Well CGT, looks like your enviro crowd of tree-huggers aren't too popular in California right now.
Their thick headed shouting is destroying the forests all over the west.
...peter

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