Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and a visionary strategist of the modern cruise industry, died Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Palma, Spain. He was 90. The entire Royal Caribbean family extends its heartfelt condolences to the Wilhelmsen family.
Wilhelmsen was a constant influence on the company from its founding, serving more than three decades on the company’s board of directors. Together with the company’s first CEO, the late Edwin Stephan, Wilhelmsen saw possibilities for the nascent cruise industry that others did not.
“At a time when the rest of the world thought cruising was a niche use for old transatlantic liners, Arne was already seeing glimmers of the growth that was possible,” said Richard Fain, RCL’s chairman and CEO. “He had a vision of the modern cruise industry when the ‘industry’ might have been a dozen used ships, total.”
Wilhelmsen saw the potential for cruising to become the fastest growing segment in a growing vacation industry. A believer in economies of scale, he once recalled,
“My initial challenge was to convince my partners and management in Miami to build bigger and more efficient ships in order to grow the company.”
True to his vision, the company now sails 61 ships calling on all seven continents and its fleet features the largest cruise ships in the world.
“Arne was a steady presence and source of wisdom on our board for decades,” Fain said. “And in 2003, when he was ready to step back, he was succeeded on the RCL board by his son, Alex, who has carried the involvement of the Wilhelmsen family in charting our company’s course into its sixth decade.
Other Cruise News:
Carnival to continue its Operational Pause through April and now May
Cunard Line Extends Suspension of Voyages Until May 2020
P&O Cruises Extends its Voluntary Pause in Australian Operations
Royal Caribbean Extends Global Suspension of Cruising
Our high standards as a company, our insistence on excellence in operations and design, and our determination to persevere all owe a great deal to the long-term vision of Arne, Alex and the Wilhelmsen family. We salute our friend, and we will miss him dearly.”
