Royal Caribbean continues to be a leader in technological design and innovation. A number of new systems came online in 1996, which enhanced customer service, enriched passengers' cruise experience and enabled travel agents to transact business more efficiently.

Web browsers welcomed Royal Caribbean to the Internet in February. More than 300,000 people have visited the line's 400-page web site since the Company entered cyberspace.

Passengers on board the newest ship in the fleet, Grandeur of the Seas, witnessed new technology in motion. Higher cruising speeds allow the vessel to spend four full days in separate ports on a seven-day cruise. A new navigational system allows the ship to remain stationary without dropping anchor, and a 4,000-square-foot glass canopy, the largest "umbrella" in the industry, permits guests to enjoy sunshine year-round.

For the first time, employees in Royal Caribbean offices worldwide have been linked into a single computer network. Other innovations enable international offices to make online, real-time reservations and handle payments in multiple currencies; human resource staff to hire and track 8,000 shipboard employees from a single database; and marine personnel to speed ship-to-shore communications.