In 1968, hospitality entrepreneur Ed Stephan and three Norwegian ship owners, Sigurd Skaugen, Anders Wilhelmsen and Gotaas Larsen, created a cruise line to sail the Caribbean. The partners chose the name “Royal Caribbean” – with the connection to royalty signifying the high standards of service guests could expect from the new company. The first ship, Song of Norway, set sail on her maiden voyage from Miami on November 7, 1970, followed by two more ships in the next two years.

Influenced by the state-of-the-art Norwegian marine industry, the team built those first three ships for speed and fuel efficiency, with shallow drafts that could allow the ships to berth at small island quays. Impressed also by the Norwegian culture of ship safety, they made sure the vessels were designed for quick, efficient evacuation. Those early ships pioneered the wide, open-air decks and the round-cantilevered Viking Crown Lounges that made Royal ships stand apart from the crowd. 

In the decades that followed, Royal Caribbean Group has continued as an industry innovator – from hotel and dining to entertainment, safety, technology and destination development