Business School At Sea

I recently spent seven days cruising aboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of the outstanding ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. The beautiful and massive cruise ship departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Each day we visited a beautiful island gem -- St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, and St Lucia. If you’ve never been on a cruise imagine a floating 13-story, deluxe hotel with restaurants, pools, fitness center, disco, theater, casino, shopping, and around- the-clock service.

Traveling always opens my eyes and reminds me of the abundance in this world – from man-made wonders like the Serenade of the Seas, to natural wonders like the Caribbean’s clear waters and sandy white beaches. However I most excited by the extraordinary people I meet.

I met a wonderful group on this trip. I was most captivated though, by the people who worked for Royal Caribbean. It wasn’t just their friendly yet professional demeanor, but it was the two words of love, heard on the lips of every one of the service staff. “My Pleasure!”

Whatever I requested, whenever I said “thank you,” whenever I asked a question, I heard from the fabulously trained staff, “My pleasure!” I heard this all day, every day from room attendants, waiters and waitresses, servers – everybody. I got the feeling that the staff really meant it. Originating from around the world, the staff at Royal Caribbean is proud to wear the uniform and to represent their country. The days are long – very long, but this group was having fun. I didn’t come across a grumpy one in the bunch.

These words of love –“My Pleasure” -- have now been incorporated into my daily conversation. By the end of the cruise I was disappointed knowing that I wouldn’t hear these words back in my home town in New York – not from the waiter at the local diner, not from the gas station attendant, not from anybody.

But, I’m on a mission.

Since the cruise, I’ve been telling clients, corporate audiences, and friends about my experience. I’ve prodded them to find a way to incorporate these words into their lives. These two simple words scream, “You are most important.” “You are what matters.” “The real pleasure is in serving you.”

So to RC I say, “Bravo!” Thanks for that lesson in service, leadership, and gratitude. We should all have the Royal Caribbean experience. It was truly my pleasure.