MIAMI, Jan. 12 -- Following an extensive audit by the Norwegian
classification organization, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Royal Caribbean
International has been awarded the prestigious ISO 9002 certification for
excellence in quality marine management. It is the first cruise company to
earn this honor.

Developed by the International Standards Organization, the group that sets
worldwide quality standards, the ISO 9002 certification means specific
standards of quality management have been achieved. For Royal Caribbean,
certification involves both the onboard marine services product and the
shoreside support of the vessels' marine operation.

This honor culminates an ongoing effort to prepare a safety and quality
management program and training personnel in implementation procedures. Guided
by Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Marine Operations Harri Kulovaara,
a fleet management team created and oversaw implementation of the quality
management program. Team members included representatives from Royal
Caribbean's marine, human resources, purchasing, risk management and the
line's safety and environmental department.

During the second half of 1997, representatives from DNV conducted a series
of extensive audits of the onboard and shoreside operation and determined that
Royal Caribbean met all standards for ISO 9002 certification.

DNV officials presented the certification to Kulovaara in a special ceremony
onboard Sovereign of the Seas on December 5, 1997.

"We believe this certification is proof of the importance we place on safety
and service and the support needed to achieve the highest standards in those
areas," said Jack Williams, Royal Caribbean's president.

"It has been an intensive period of planning, development, training and
implementation of our goals," Kulovaara added. "Recognition by Det Norske
Veritas was an added bonus, for which we are very proud."

The ISO 9002 certification is another step in Royal Caribbean's program of
continuous improvement. In 1994, four years before the internationally
mandated 1998 deadline, the company became the first in the cruise industry to
earn the International Safety Management (ISM) certification. In 1997, Royal
Caribbean became the first cruise line ever to be awarded the prestigious
Safety and Environmental Protection (SEP) certification from DNV. All of
these awards and certifications have come under the umbrella of Royal
Caribbean's Safety and Quality Management (SQM) program, developed in 1992 and
unique to Royal Caribbean. The line is currently working toward an ISO 14000
certification for environmental quality management.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise company operating two cruise
brands, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. The brands'
combined fleet consists of 16 vessels in service and three ships on order,
representing a total capacity of nearly 38,000 berths by the year 2000. The
ships currently visit Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean,
Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, New England, the Panama Canal and Scandinavia.