Anthem Of The Sea Analysis
On Sunday, February 7th, 2015, the cruise ship Anthem of the Sea, owned by Royal Caribbean cruise liners, sailed straight into the path of a storm. Not just any storm, but one that had hurricane force winds blowing at close to 120 miles per hour, and gigantic ocean swells of up to 80 feet. Nevertheless, Anthem of the Sea persisted into the storm. As history shows, fortunately, no one sustained any severe injuries, and the ship made it back to port safely. However, the question had to be posed: why did the ship crew and captain continue? As one can imagine, this could quickly turn into a public relations nightmare. A nightmare where everyone is asking the same question, but no one is able to find an authentic answer. The story broke, revealing
that the captain had knowledge that the storm existed, but did not understand the magnitude of the situation, and that it was not reported as severe as they encountered. Additionally, passengers were given full refund, and a 50% credit for a future fare. The Public Relations Society of America states in their code of ethics, “We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent,”(prsa.org). For a public relations professional within the “Anthem of the Sea” incident, this is exactly what needed to happen. This situation of potential danger gave everyone a sense of distrust of the Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Even if it was a honest mistake on part of the crew and captain, public relations must have a benefiting response to the public, in order to leave their company in good standing. One of the best responses they gave in explanation of this crisis in the disclosure of all the information. Royal Caribbean affirmed that the storm the ship encountered was much more violent than anticipated, however, they remarked that it does not give them excuses for what happened(CNN). As a public relations professional, this is an excellent tactic. It is always beneficial to make the public aware of what happened, then accept the “blame” so to say, if that be the case. Not only that, but it was made clear that passengers on the voyage would be reimbursed, but also credited with 50% of their next cruise purchase with Royal Caribbean. This shows that the company cares about their customers and is willing to go at cost to ensure their happiness. According to Cultip and Center's Effective Communication, “Professions must also fulfill expectations and moral obligations at the level of society,”(Cultip and Center's, 117). Personally, it is my belief that Royal Caribbean made the correct choices in holding to the ethical responsibility that society requires in the situation of the ship, Anthem of the Sea. Royal Caribbean made it clear what happened during the voyage – the informing of the public. Next, they made it clear what they would to reimburse the passengers – the assurance that they could be trusted. Finally, they indicated that they would take steps to ensure that a similar situation would not happen again – a continuation of their image in the market place. It was very well handled. In fact, about a year later, the same ship encountered as similar situation, and the “captain followed [the] new storm avoidance policy and consulted with experts[and returned to port without incident],”(CNN). This can very clearly be seen as a responsive and benefitting public relations interaction.
that the captain had knowledge that the storm existed, but did not understand the magnitude of the situation, and that it was not reported as severe as they encountered. Additionally, passengers were given full refund, and a 50% credit for a future fare. The Public Relations Society of America states in their code of ethics, “We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent,”(prsa.org). For a public relations professional within the “Anthem of the Sea” incident, this is exactly what needed to happen. This situation of potential danger gave everyone a sense of distrust of the Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Even if it was a honest mistake on part of the crew and captain, public relations must have a benefiting response to the public, in order to leave their company in good standing. One of the best responses they gave in explanation of this crisis in the disclosure of all the information. Royal Caribbean affirmed that the storm the ship encountered was much more violent than anticipated, however, they remarked that it does not give them excuses for what happened(CNN). As a public relations professional, this is an excellent tactic. It is always beneficial to make the public aware of what happened, then accept the “blame” so to say, if that be the case. Not only that, but it was made clear that passengers on the voyage would be reimbursed, but also credited with 50% of their next cruise purchase with Royal Caribbean. This shows that the company cares about their customers and is willing to go at cost to ensure their happiness. According to Cultip and Center's Effective Communication, “Professions must also fulfill expectations and moral obligations at the level of society,”(Cultip and Center's, 117). Personally, it is my belief that Royal Caribbean made the correct choices in holding to the ethical responsibility that society requires in the situation of the ship, Anthem of the Sea. Royal Caribbean made it clear what happened during the voyage – the informing of the public. Next, they made it clear what they would to reimburse the passengers – the assurance that they could be trusted. Finally, they indicated that they would take steps to ensure that a similar situation would not happen again – a continuation of their image in the market place. It was very well handled. In fact, about a year later, the same ship encountered as similar situation, and the “captain followed [the] new storm avoidance policy and consulted with experts[and returned to port without incident],”(CNN). This can very clearly be seen as a responsive and benefitting public relations interaction.