Surprise! Royal Caribbean Cruises just changed its name, without telling anyone
Something big just happened at Royal Caribbean Cruises, the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea. But we'll forgive you for not noticing. We didn't either -- at least not initially.
The company changed its name -- and its logo, too.
The name is now Royal Caribbean Group.
The new logo is a slightly less embellished version of the old crown-and-anchor symbol, now with a circle drawn around it.
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"We started exploring the update a year or so ago," the company's global chief communications officer, Rob Zeiger, told TPG on Thursday after being asked about the change, which was never announced. "With a logo planned for the side of our new headquarters, it was a good time to consider whether to update what we had."
Royal Caribbean is in the midst of building a new, $300 million headquarters building in Miami just steps away from where its ships dock in the city. The building originally was scheduled to open this year, but work has been paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.
TPG first spotted the new Royal Caribbean Group name on a press release the company sent out this week to announce a new panel of health experts it had formed in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The company also has rebranded its corporate website with the new name and logo.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
But the old name and logo remains in many places. As of Thursday morning, the page at the Royal Caribbean brand site that offers a biography of the head of the company, Richard Fain, still listed him as chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises.
The company's investor relations website also still had the old Royal Caribbean Cruises branding as of Thursday.
"It's a gradual rollout," Zeiger told us.
Zeiger said the thinking on the name change is that "Group" would help make clear that the company was the parent of the brand Royal Caribbean as well as other lines.
Anybody who reads a lot about cruises will have noticed that many news outlets confuse Royal Caribbean the parent company with Royal Caribbean the subsidiary brand. It's confusing for customers, too.
Related: The best credit cards for booking cruises
The full name of Royal Caribbean, the brand, is Royal Caribbean International. But many news and travel sites, including TPG, shorten that to just "Royal Caribbean."
The change to the Royal Caribbean Group logo is subtle. At first glance, it looks the same as the old logo. But on closer comparison, the difference is clear.
The crown and anchor on the old logo has a slightly different shape, and it sits on a white background.
The redesign is meant, in part, to better differentiate the Royal Caribbean Group logo from the Royal Caribbean subsidiary brand logo, which also features a crown and anchor.
"It's a nice, clean evolution," Zeiger said of the new Royal Caribbean Group logo. "Its shape is sharpened, and you will only see (the crown and anchor) inside the circle, helping differentiate it further from the Royal Caribbean International logo."
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.