TORONTO — If you’ve ever wanted to find out how one of the best-known execs in the cruise industry led one of the best-known cruise lines to new heights of popularity, this is your chance.

As Royal Caribbean Group’s chairman Richard Fain puts it in his new book, it’s all about the WOW.

‘Delivering the WOW: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Success’, out now, is Fain’s at-the-helm account of how Royal Caribbean came to be one of travelʻs most in-demand experiences.

The book goes beyond the ships’ bells and whistles (or rather, beyond the ice-skating rinks and rock climbing walls). Fain’s down-to-earth storytelling delves into what makes RCG’s company culture unique. He shares how prioritizing ‘wow’ led to the megaship era, beginning back in 1988 with Sovereign of the Seas, right up to present day with offboard experiences including RCG’s private island resort, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fainʻs new book was released Oct. 21, 2025

Fain served as chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group from 1988 to 2022 when he transitioned to his current role as chairman. Under his leadership, the company grew from a small cruise line to its current place as one of the world’s most valuable vacation companies.

As he tells it in his book, Fain got to know Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines when, in the mid-1970s at age 28, he was hired as treasurer of Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation. The company was a part owner of Royal Caribbean. “It was only after I had been there for some months that I discovered that Gotaas-Larsen owned a third of this small but successful cruise business,” writes Fain. “Unfortunately I was also told that I would have nothing to do with the cruise line and that I should focus solely on solving the problems of the big shipping company. Bummer. The cruise industry sounded interesting, and it was disappointing that I would not be involved.”

Of course, fate had different plans for Fain. He was soon tasked with fielding what was then a bizarre request from Royal Caribbean: the cruise lineʻs founder and then-President, Ed Stephan, wanted the go-ahead to cut the 720-passenger Song of Norway in half and insert a new mid-section, bringing the passenger count to 1,040.

Just 1,040! These days Royal Caribbeanʻs newest ships, like the eagerly anticipated 5,610-passenger Legend of the Seas coming in July 2026, carry more than 5x times that number. Not only that, but Song of Norway was one of only three ships in Royal Caribbeanʻs fleet in those days.

Fain notes that inserting the new 85-foot midsection would boost the shipʻs capacity (and revenue) by 45%, but increase operating costs by only 20%.”On the surface, his idea was sheer craziness, but financially, this bizarre plan was a thing of beauty,” he writes.

Fain was hooked. He took a spot on Royal Caribbeanʻs board – and he and his wife finally took their first Royal Caribbean cruise (spoiler alert: they loved it). In 1986 he was asked to come aboard the cruise line as chairman and CEO. He said no – at first. A family man, Fain was living in England with his wife and four school-age children, and didnʻt want to uproot them. Accommodations were made, and Fain was approached again to join as chairman and CEO, working ʻpart timeʻ while maintaining his position at Gotaas-Larsen (and commuting from London to Miami). Itʻs a testament to Fainʻs dedication and perseverance that he pulled it off, and the new arrangement become official in 1988.

Recognized for his “visionary leadership”, Fain was named one of the 30 World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s for three years running and received the Ultimate CEO Award from the South Florida Business Journal. His international awards include the rank of Officier in the Légion d’Honneur of France and Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland. He and his wife now have eight grandchildren as well.

In January 2022 Fain stepped down from his post as CEO, however he has stayed on as Chairman. The CEO torch passed to Jason Liberty. Royal Caribbean Group includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.

‘Delivering the WOW: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Successʻ is mix of Fainʻs personal anecdotes, decadesʻ worth of fascinating corporate lore about one of the most beloved cruise lines in the industry, savvy business advice (“We werenʻt chasing volume – we were building value”) and of course, fun pictures from days gone by, including one of Song of Norway cut in half and ready for its new midsection.

Ahead of the release of the new book, Travelweek got to connect with Fain for this Q&A …

Travelweek: What do you hope readers take away from your new book, ‘Delivering the WOW: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Successʻ?  

Fain: “The main thrust of the book is the power of a WOW culture to galvanize an organization to deliver transformational results. A culture is not something inherent like DNA; it is the product of a relentless and dedicated effort.”

Travelweek: It’s incredible how cruising keeps evolving over the decades. What do you feel will fuel the industry’s continued success? 

Fain: “The key to our ability to drive growth is an insatiable quest to provide more and better choices for our guests. It isn’t a few gee-whiz embellishments. It is a mindset of continuous improvement which drives both excellence and innovation.”

Travelweek: On that note, is there a cruise trend that you find concerning? 

Fain: “Actually, I think the industry has been remarkably successful in avoiding the kind of pitfalls that have impacted so many industries. The commitment to continuous improvement means identifying issues when they are still small and taking action to avoid them becoming larger.”

Travelweek: Do you foresee consolidation in the cruise industry? Can the cruise lines just keep growing as they have been – is there a ceiling? 

Fain: “I first got involved in the industry because some people were concerned that the industry was already reaching a ceiling. The expression then was that ʻtrees don’t grow to heavenʻ and that maybe our four existing ships were approaching the limit. I have also heard the same question raised for every one of my 33 years as CEO. We aren’t there yet!”

Travelweek: RCG’s game-changers like ice-skating at sea truly blew people’s minds and completely changed cruising forever. Can you give our travel advisor readers a bit of a ‘behind the curtain’ view on what it was like in the RCG meeting rooms back when those WOW onboard experiences were first being discussed? Was there a sense of ‘are we crazy, will this really work?’

Fain: “We definitely asked ourselves on many occasions whether our ideas were simply crazy – whether they were so beyond anyone’s expectations that they would not be accepted. But after we agonized over the decision for a while, the question usually evolved to ʻare our ideas crazy enough?ʻ The travelling public wants choice and they want new and exciting experiences. We never lose by going beyond what they want.”

Legend of the Seas

Travelweek: What are some of the ‘most effective best practices’ you’ve seen or heard of used by travel advisors who are very high-producers for the cruise lines? 

Fain: “Our best travel advisor producers always seem to be the most knowledgeable and most passionate. This is an important and complex purchase for most consumers. Advisors who take the time to learn and care always seem to do well.”

Travelweek: Your career in the cruise industry has been phenomenal. Did you ever consider another career path? 

Fain: “I have had the best job in the world with the coolest (and most passionate) people. Pure luck got me into it, but once I realized how great an industry this is, I never considered anything else.”

Travelweek: Can you share 1 or 2 of the most memorable cruises that you’ve taken as a vacationer – and is there an itinerary you’ve never sailed but would like to! 

Fain: “Royal Caribbean offers almost 1,000 different itineraries and I wish I could take most of them. I am blessed with four children and eight extraordinary grandchildren. I have no favourites … I love them all equally. We have 68 ships and I love them all equally. That said, the best part of any cruise is always the time with the crew regardless of the itinerary.”

Hideaway Beach