Filenews 16 April 2022 - by Andri Daniel
On the map of the world cruise put Cyprus the Royal Caribbean International, cruising to and from the island. The Hotel Operation Director of Europe and Middle East at Royal Caribbean International, Christos Karavos, opens his cards, saying that Royal Caribbean believed in Cyprus as a destination and now the efforts are being put into practice with the company colossus, preparing for attractive cruises in the Mediterranean and recommending to its timeless customers Cyprus, but also to the Cypriots the luxurious choice of cruise, bound for the Mediterranean.
In 2020, when Covid began globally, Royal Caribbean was following developments globally with concern as a ship with 2,000 passengers was on a voyage. The decision was made to act immediately, Christos Karavos recounts, describing the handling of a cruise giant company in the face of the pandemic.
"I asked for the ship to be returned, for the passengers to be fully compensated but not to run the risk of getting infected on their journey. There was not a single case on board, but as a precaution we had to act. Royal Caribbean had been put in an emergency, with the concern to return the crews to their base. We had 45,000 crew members and for some countries like India, we didn't find any tickets and if there were then the prices were outrageous.
That's when the decision was made to go to the company's cruise ship to transport 4,200 Indians. He started "Anthem Of the Seas" from America, 28 days and went to Mumbai. They arrived safely, without being in the slightest danger. We took the Indians, we brought the Europeans, the Jamaicans, the Americans, with a design, in which the ships of the Royal Caribbean were recruited. It cost several million to the company, but in four months the crews were at home. The few who had stayed on board the ships, were fully cared for, had their own cabin and no one was in danger."
Managing during the pandemic
Mr. Karavos explains that the developments with the pandemic have prompted the company to shape its strategy and decisions. "At the same time, with the spread of Covid globally, the decision had been taken to sell two ships that were in Crete. I moved for 8 weeks and sold the cruise ships to the companies concerned."
The need for vaccines and the contribution of Cyprus
"With the measures as they were formulated for travel and cruises, we needed vaccines. We needed friendly countries to help us. Everyone made great promises to us, even the Caribbean to which we transport thousands of tourists every year, but no one really helped us.
I was in England and having no way out, I booked an appointment with the Secretary of State for Tourism. We met with Savvas Perdios from the past and had met before the pandemic, exchanging views on cruises. So we had agreed to bring a cruise ship to Cyprus, but the vaccines were an obstacle to making it. This was followed by an agreement with the Deputy Minister of Shipping, Vassilis Dimitriadis, and the Minister of Transport, Yiannis Karousos, with whom he began an excellent cooperation.
With the facilities given to us and proper planning we managed to vaccinate our crews. We moved 8,000 Caribbean staff members in a few months, while strengthening the Cypriot economy on a multi-layered basis, as they were staying in hotels in Cyprus, moving by taxi buses. Cypriot producers were supplying the ships with fresh products daily.
When "Wonder Of The Seas" came to Cyprus, it cost several million, but because of the cooperation that began and continues with the government, it was worth it. There were both good and bad days, but we always found solutions."
Over the next five years, five new ships of 5,000 passengers were built, according to Mr. Christos Karavos. Cyprus enters the cruise map with serious foundations and Royal Caribbean is here to stay in Cyprus with the aim of further development.
"The idea was born when it was the CTO and we had made a presentation on how to make Cyprus a cruise centre. There was no know-how or rather Cyprus was unprepared for this.
Just before the pandemic, with the Deputy Minister of Tourism, we had discussed ways in which Cyprus could be put on the cruise map. A good plan was set up which, however, came up against the pandemic. The given coincidence, however, gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the momentum, so we tried more intensively.
We prepared with the Deputy Ministers Perdios and Dimitriadis, a Win-Win plan and we presented it to Royal Caribbean, along with the facilities (with the approval of the Minister) of the Republic of Cyprus to vaccinate the crews. Royal Caribbean had no other options until that time.
When Royal Caribbean executives came to Cyprus, they were guided and thrilled with traditional products and Cypriot cuisine. With the announcement of the cooperation, Cyprus was the fifth country in the search on the internet, as a destination from America.
Christos Karavos, the refugee from Kythrea
"I am a refugee from Kythrea. When I was 12 years old we came to Nicosia, I was the first from the family to go to study in New York. I was there for 8 years. I returned to Cyprus when the Gulf war was underway and there were no jobs in the hotels at the time.
I met a gentleman who suggested that I work at Louis Cruise Lines and told me to go to the ships. I had no experience with cruise ships, my only experience was in the fishing boats of my late father. But the sea has always been attractive to me.
The first ship I worked on was the "Princesa Cypria". I took the first mission to the Greek islands. On the way back I was hired as a bartender, then I became a hotel manager, later I was promoted to operational director and stayed on the ship for ten years.
Being anxious I was always looking for more, so in 2003 I was employed at Disney Cruise Lines. It was a fantastic journey full of experiences. He had families, many children, we all dressed as characters of Disney's favourite heroes. After two years I started looking for advancement in the same industry and after going through many online and face-to-face interviews, I joined Royal Caribbean in 2005. The first ship I was called to work on was the "Marion of the Seas", it was a nine-month-old ship and the largest cruise ship in the world at the time.
I vividly remember that I had been in the chair of the hotel manager with a safe key in which I had more than 4.5 million dollars and for that I was responsible. I didn't think that a refugee from Kythrea could do that, but I managed to get there. At night I slept with the key of the safe lest it be lost.
I had changed 2-3 small ships of the company, when one day and while we were doing three-day excursions in Florida, I received a call from my manager, who assigned me a new mission from the very next day. From the smallest ship I was on, I found myself in "Aces Of The Seas", the newest acquisition of Royal Caribbean at the time, a huge ship that took a week to learn the layout."
"I have been at Royal Caribbean for 17 years and have worked on all the ships of the company. I particularly liked Europe and asked to be transferred to Europe. I came to "Independence of the Seas" and we made weekly trips from Southampton to the Canary Islands. The results were excellent so the company promoted me as Hotel Operation Director of Europe and Middle East at Royal Caribbean International and the mission was Miami.
My base is in England, where I live with my wife and children, who are my mainstay in every change. Europe has eight ships, the design is for the ships to come from America to Europe and return, with destinations alternating for the company's passengers. It requires hard work, but educational work. Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Greece, Cyprus, Israel.
The form of work is demanding, as you need to know the rules in each country, what is needed in each port and the requirements of customers of different nationalities. It's the challenge every day. Behind my ascension lie countless hours of work and hard effort. No one will give you in an envelope containing the life you dream of. There are difficult times but there are benefits and moral, financial and personal satisfaction when the result rewards you. A young person must make himself indispensable, where he works. I'm proud to have been able to bring Royal Caribbean to my country."
