ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP
STATEMENT PURSUANT TO MODERN SLAVERY ACT 2015
Royal Caribbean Group is the world’s second largest cruise company and operates through its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”). We wholly own and operate four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Azamara. Through these brands, the Company operates a large and diverse fleet of ships on a selection of worldwide itineraries that call on hundreds of destinations across all seven continents. This statement was prepared pursuant to section 54 of the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015 for the financial year ending December 31, 2019, and it is published on behalf of the Company and its wholly owned global brands. The statement is signed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. A signed copy of this statement is available upon request.
OUR COMMITMENT
We endorse the principles contained in the United Nations’ (“UN”) Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Labour Organization’s (“ILO”) core conventions on labour standards, and we pledged our support in 2019 to the UN Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business. We are committed to respecting human rights and core labour principles in our business operations, and we approach and undertake this commitment seriously. More information is available in our Human Rights Statement.
Our Business
We are a diverse Company doing business with equally diverse customers, suppliers, business partners, and third parties, and we value the backgrounds and experiences brought to our Company therefrom. Together, we foster an inclusive environment where we treat each other with respect and dignity and in a manner consistent with the Company’s values We place a high priority on conducting our business in compliance with the law and in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics. The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) sets forth the Company’s values and governs the ethical and legal conduct of our employees across our global operations, including our commitment to human rights and core labour principles and our condemnation of human trafficking and all forms of forced and child labour. All employees are trained on, and certify compliance with, the Code upon commencement of employment and at regular intervals thereafter. The Code is reviewed and updated on an annual basis and is approved by our Board of Directors. We also provide specific content training on modern slavery to targeted employees within supply chain and other functions in the organization.
Our Supply Chain
We are committed to transparent relationships with our suppliers. We act ethically and comply with the laws applicable to where we conduct business, and we expect that our suppliers do the same in their business operations, including their dealings with and for the Company. These expectations and requirements are stated in the Company’s Supplier Guiding Principles and referenced in our Code and on our Internet-based supplier portal.
The Supplier Guiding Principles also state our expectation that suppliers make the same commitment to human rights and core labour principles we do by providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees, prohibiting all forms of forced and child labour, ensuring compliance with applicable wage and hour laws, promoting a diverse workplace free from harassment, discrimination, and abuse, and respecting legal rights on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Our purchase order terms and conditions with suppliers incorporate these expectations and reserve our right to inspect and audit records related to the supplier relationship to ensure obligations have been/are being met. We use a risk-based approach to manage our supplier relationships, including due diligence and internal processes, procedures, and controls. Periodic risk assessments of our business operations guide this approach. The Company acquired a 66.7% equity stake in Silversea Cruises in July 2018 and acquired the remaining stake in July 2020. Silversea Cruises is in the process of adopting the foregoing processes and procedures as operations are integrated.
Reporting
We encourage employees and suppliers to report known or suspected illegal and unethical conduct or activities to certain designated contacts, including our Global Compliance and Ethics Group or through the Company’s Compliance and Ethics AWARE (“Address Wrongdoing As Responsible Employees”) Hotline, which is accessible by phone or the Internet, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. More information about the Company’s Compliance and Ethics AWARE Hotline can be found in Our Code, Supplier Guiding Principles, our corporate website, and at RCLaware.ethicspoint.com. Reports are reviewed, and investigations and actions are taken when appropriate. The above processes are periodically reviewed and/or updated to ensure they remain appropriate and effective.