Always innovating, Royal Caribbean International has hired its (and the cruise industry's) first Chief Meteorologist.
James Van Fleet is a seasoned television meteorologist, coming onboard to advise the line's two dozen ships with a fleet weather forecast.
The company's new role was first introduced via video. While it reminds that the ultimate responsibility (legally and professionally) hangs on the captain of each ship, the meteorological job is in place to provide the best information to the line's captains so that they can make the wisest navigational choices from the precise data.
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Weather tracking has, of course, always been a factor of safe cruise ship operation. Individual vessels have instrumentation that receives reports and monitors conditions.
This just takes it to a whole other level, no doubt in part to help avoid another very stormy situation like its Anthem of the Seas experienced in February 2016. Hurricane-force winds rocked and rolled the vessel as it left from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.
While the ship and its passengers were never in any serious danger, the event got a lot of press for putting guests in an extraordinary amount of discomfort. The ship was caught in unexpectedly high winds that were not predicted by the shipping forecast. However, since winds sped up from 40-50 knots to 150-160 knots in a short timespan, it's difficult to speculate if a fleet-wide forecast would have anticipated such a storm any differently.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Was the Anthem of the Seas in Real Danger?[/READMORE]
Implementing a Chief Meteorologist exhibits a proactive approach to, at the very least, greatly reducing the likelihood of any one ship ever getting caught off guard. What's more, Van Fleet comes to Royal Caribbean with over twenty years of experience under his belt, so the level of expertise being applied to the new program is significant. His broadcasting background also allows him to communicate his technical know-how with everyone from captains and crew to executives and guests.
Interestingly, Van Fleet mentioned that, "Even when it's beautiful in Miami or the Bahamas-and there are plenty of our ships who have fantastic weather for the guests-there's something going on somewhere. Whether it's Australia, The Tasman Sea, whether its South America, the Mediterranean, there's something somewhere."
That's a very good point because, with a worldwide deployment of ships, not all of them may be sailing the smoothest seas. Now captains cruising in any conditions have an extra set of eyes to help guide them on finer details as they seek out the calmest routes for the sake of both safety and comfort.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Royal Caribbean's Brilliant New Muster Drill Video[/READMORE]
A likely next step will be for this program to be expanded corporately so that Azamara Club Cruises and Celebrity Cruises can also tap into its benefits, either with Van Fleet at the helm or each brand's own Chief Meteorologist.
As with any good idea that contributes to safety, Royal Caribbean will also surely share the concept beyond its own walls to the industry in general. By already presenting its inside strategy, Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Limited and others can copy it as they see fit.
On the surface, it seems like a great idea to imitate.
A Chief Meteorologist should assist in further alleviating any fears, especially for any first-time cruisers concerned about motion sickness. Newer larger cruise ships are usually more stable than ones before, and now Royal Caribbean should be even more of a contender for consideration.
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