How a culture oF "WOW” transformed the travel industry

a book with lessons for business leaders and stories for cruise lovers...

how “wow” became
a strategy—and Transformed an industrY

how “wow” became
a strategy—and Transformed an industrY

While many leaders think separately about their customer experience and their work culture, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain united both with this simple three-letter word: WOW.

“WOW!” was the word on everyone’s lips as the first guests walked the decks of Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest and most spectacular cruise ship.


In
Delivering the WOW , Fain distills invaluable leadership lessons from decades at the helm of one of the world’s most daring and innovative travel companies. His remarkable stories—from engineering multi-billion-dollar megaships like Icon of the Seas to turning cruise decks into ice-skating rinks—will inspire any leader to catalyze success by building a culture that delivers the “WOW.”

All it takes is a few principles, including:

Alignment

How true shared vision differs from acceptance or compromise

Intentionality

The value of staying focused on your north star goal

Continuous improvement

A mindset that aspires to constantly improve what you do and how you do it

Crisis response

How culture helps navigate black swan events

Delivering such wows guided Royal Caribbean Group, the pioneering travel company, to enduring success over 33 years under the leadership of chairman and former CEO Richard Fain, who was named a Top 30 by Barron’s


In entertaining stories from the adventure-filled cruising industry, you’ll learn that wow moments don’t just happen; they’re designed. Such moments mobilize a workforce, win customers, and fuel transformative growth.

Delivering such wows guided Royal Caribbean Group, the pioneering travel company, to enduring success over 33 years under the leadership of chairman and former CEO Richard Fain, who was named a Top 30 by Barron’s


In entertaining stories from the adventure-filled cruising industry, you’ll learn that wow moments don’t just happen; they’re designed. Such moments mobilize a workforce, win customers, and fuel transformative growth.

"Richard Fain didn't just build ships—he built a culture of excellence that transformed an entire industry. Having worked alongside him on Royal Caribbean’s board for over two decades, I witnessed firsthand how his extraordinary leadership combined visionary strategy with masterful execution. Richard possessed that rare ability to see where the market was heading before anyone else, then align an entire organization around that North Star with remarkable clarity of purpose. Richard's insights on building transformational culture and maintaining unwavering commitment to long-term vision offer invaluable lessons for leaders in any industry.

—Tom Pritzker, Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels

"Considering I've seen it all in 40+ years in the cruise industry, I was genuinely surprised by how many of Richard Fain’s behind-the-scenes stories had me saying, ‘Wow, I had no idea!’ The book strikes that rare balance between useful lessons and stirring emotions . . . In this inspiring book, Richard proves that with the right vision, culture, and resilience, anyone can emerge from any challenge bigger, bolder, and better than ever.

—Michelle Fee, founder and CEO of Cruise Planners

"This book is more than a business story—it’s a guide to building a culture rooted in purpose, passion, and lasting impact. It’s about achievement that goes beyond the bottom line and a journey marked by bold decisions, deep care for people, and a commitment to leaving things better than he found them. By sharing his lessons, Richard has given every reader a rare gift: a blueprint for leading with heart, sustaining excellence, and transforming challenges into enduring legacy.”

—Don Thompson, former CEO, McDonald’s Corporation

"This book shows how a great leader . . . piloted the operational, marketing, financial, strategic, and staffing transformation of the cruise industry. With 35 years at the helm of Royal Caribbean, Richard shares fascinating candid, personal explanations to show that the destinations they reached as an enterprise did not happen by putting leadership on cruise control. The entire travel sector learned from Royal Caribbean’s innovation. Richard offers a library of wise maxims to guide future leaders across industries, across sectors, across oceans, and across continents.”

—Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies, Yale School of Management

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RICHARD FAIN

The Author

Richard Fain is chairman of Royal Caribbean Group, He served as chairman and CEO from 1988 to 2022 when he transitioned to his current role as chairman. Under his leadership, the company grew from a small cruise line to its current place as one of the world’s most valuable vacation companies. 


Recognized for his “visionary leadership”, Mr. Fain was named one of the 30 World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s for three years running and received the Ultimate CEO Award from the South Florida Business Journal. His international awards include the rank of Officier in the Légion d’Honneur of France and Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland.


He and his wife of 56 years have four children and eight extraordinary grandchildren.

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In the Media

CNBC

Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain steps down, will remain chairman

Richard Fain, outgoing Royal Caribbean CEO, joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ in an exclusive interview to discuss why he plans on stepping down. Fain delves into his confidence in the incoming CEO, current CFO, Jason Liberty.

CNBC

Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain on the U.S. return of cruising

Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean, joins CNBC’s Seema Mody aboard the first cruise to set sail since the pandemic. He discusses safety protocols on board the company’s ships and the ongoing return to normal.

CNBC

CNBC’s full interview with Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO, joins ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss how the company is welcoming back travelers, the future of the cruise industry, vaccination mandates and more.