The Philippines: The Caribbean of Asia?

MANILA, Philippines – “The diversity and richness of your islands makes the Philippines extremely desirable for cruisers,” declares Adam Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. during a recent intimate dinner hosted by Marilen Yaptangco, their Manila-based international representative and president and chief executive officer of Arpan Travel Air and Baron Travel.

Goldstein, an honors graduate of Princeton University, law degree holder from Harvard University and a Masters of Business Administration alumnus with distinction from the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires in Fontainebleau, France, is a veteran guest of television talk shows on major US networks, such as “Oprah” during the height of its popularity, where he imparts his expertise and insights into the travel and tourism arena. He is also often quoted in leading business publications – Forbes to cite one – for his opinions on the current trends and future expectations on the industry.

He was once the national president of the United States Travel Association and a Travel Industry Hall of Fame inductee.

Royal Caribbean is the world’s largest cruising organization, which owns and operates some 44 ships – with nine more on order – spread across five company lines, namely Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF Croisières de France that have been transformed into life-changing floating cities where memorable moments are created and celebrated.

And yet today, the Philippines only caters to special cruises, where ships ply the waters in aside-from-the-normal routes – at least for now and hopefully not for long.

“There are 24 million cruise holidaymakers a year, 12 million of whom are Americans, and the rest is shared by Europeans and Australians. However, the fastest growing demographic comes from Asia, most notably from China,” Goldstein discloses.

To address such trends, the cruise line offers customizable options for singles, couples, families and even clan members that span up to three generations of extended kinfolk, as if the cruise was made exclusively for them. These include traditional comfort food like dumplings and noodles, shopping of luxury brand names with logos plastered all over and multiple-room casinos, particularly done as they maintain their commitment to their principles and values, and their ever-loyal customers.

“We always strive to tailor our products to suit different clients and their distinct cultures,” he says.

“Sailings are often based on a balance between ports of call and days at sea. Usually, Asians – led by the Chinese – spend no longer than four to six days on vacation. On the other hand, Australians or Europeans opt for seven to 14 days on board,” Goldstein reveals.

Concentric circles of destinations – what’s around the periphery of the main port – will usually be included in the itinerary. Cruises originating from Singapore as the present hub may include capital cities and resort complexes of Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. On the other hand, Shanghai, as the embarkation and disembarkation point, features the ancient and historical cultural sites of Korea and Japan.

As the dinner progressed, Royal Caribbean shared an exclusive sneak peek into their drawing boards – and we were pleased with what we discovered. The conglomerate plans to soon turn Hong Kong into a center, with the rustic towns of Taiwan and the beaches of the Philippines as regular stopovers.

Looking further ahead, the management is pleased with the development of the seaside international airport of Kalibo as a potential entry area, where tourists can fly in and then sail out to neighboring islets, peninsulas and even the jewel that is Boracay, with its fabulous white sand beaches and great water sports activities.

Goldstein, ahead-of-his-time visionary, supported by Royal Caribbean, the pathfinder in the industry, also unveils that in future, the team may consider the Batanes islands as a potential venue for escapades on a private isle.  This is not a new endeavor, for in the past, they have possessed and upgraded their own islands such as the 140-acre CocoCay between Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas and the 26-acre Labadee near Haiti.

However, to turn hopeful intentions into tangible reality, various stakeholders must commit to and focus on serious courses of action for projects.

A brighter future of the Philippines as an important player of cruising around Asia may have just begun. Goldstein’s 24-hour visit to Manila included a series of meetings with the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Philippine Transmarine Carrier, select travel agents and members of media.

As the Asian region draws closer to the much-awaited, highly-anticipated expansion programs, Goldstein’s sterling lineup of officers –VP for Government Relations Ukko Metsola, VP for Commercial Development John Tercek, managing director Sean Treacy, and sales head for Southast Asia Josh Wen – has dedicated relatively generous amounts of days and weeks within the 7,107 islands as they have established much-needed connections, searched for new locales, talked to local government units and laid the initial groundwork for foreseeable future ventures.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., inspired by the customer satisfaction delivered by the 11,000-strong Filipino crewmembers, has recently announced their intention to hire even more Filipino officers and crew – approximately 30,000 in number. In addition to the first training facility in Maragondon, Cavite, the line will also expand to a second establishment at the Mall of Asia, set to open on May 6 this year.

Of the numerous kababayans that have chosen a life at sea, many have already been promoted to officers, human resource managers and even medical doctors.

“One never knows, we may have a Filipino captain rise up from the ranks,” hopes Goldstein.

We soon learn that though he may be an icon in the maritime field, Goldstein, the traveler on holiday, has crossed off his bucket list a 7,000-kilometer drive through the Nordic countries to see majestic auroras. And his two topmost memorable naval expeditions were to the sunny shores of Fiji and Tahiti, and to the phenomenal Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

“Travel gives us the opportunity to get in touch and meet up with former classmates, old colleagues and friends who have since settled in different parts of the world,” he says.

“My wife and I never check in any luggage, except when we go skiing, we usually send all our gear ahead and hand-carry our personal belongings,” he confides.

At the end of the evening, we congratulate him for his worthwhile accomplishments, both personal and professional. As we say our farewells, we wish him the best of luck on his forthcoming once-upon-an-idea, hopefully soon-to-be-reality plans for the Royal Caribbean, the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

“None of these blessings would have happened without the men and women who collaborated with us from all over the globe. And we’re still counting on them in the imminent years to come,” Goldstein acknowledges with a smile.