MIAMI, June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Royal Caribbean International and Jennifer Hagel Smith have reached an agreement settling any potential claims regarding the death of her husband George Smith IV. The company entered into this agreement to provide closure and move forward.

The terms of the settlement are subject to approval by a Connecticut probate court. Royal Caribbean will continue in its good faith efforts to ensure Ms. Hagel Smith has access to all information regarding her husband’s disappearance.

“We have done our best to assist Jennifer through the tragic events involving the disappearance of her husband,” said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International. “She has handled herself well under the most trying of circumstances and we applaud her constructive approach to resolving this matter — so much so that our company will also match a contribution by Ms. Hagel Smith to a charity of her choosing. We believe this agreement will help Jennifer to move forward in her life, while honoring the memory of her beloved husband.”

“This has been the most difficult and challenging year of my life,” said Ms. Hagel Smith. “I will always love George and cherish our time together. I feel blessed to have such a strong network of loyal family, friends and supporters who have provided me with such tremendous strength and encouragement. They have walked and sometimes carried me through this heartbreaking time. I am forever grateful. My discussions with Royal Caribbean have been very open, as well as extremely productive and informative. This journey has always been a matter of principle for me, and I know that George would be proud of what has been accomplished thus far, in good faith, as we continue to seek answers. I appreciate Royal Caribbean’s cooperation, sincerity and efforts moving forward, which I believe will play a major role in helping all of us find closure. The memory of George will always live on in my heart, that of our families and everyone who knew him.”

SOURCE Royal Caribbean International
-CONTACT: Michael Sheehan of Royal Caribbean International,
+1-305-539-6570

MIAMI, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. today appointed top federal security and law enforcement executive, Gary M. Bald, vice president of Global Security, a new position being assigned broad responsibilities for assessing, managing and continuously improving companywide security. Last week, Bald stepped down as Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the third senior-most post at the agency. Bald’s new post will report directly to company Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain.

“We are thrilled to have Gary joining our team,” said Fain. “Thanks to Gary’s leadership, our country is much better prepared in terms of security, and I am fully confident, given his resume and resolve, that he will lead our company to even greater advances in our preparedness and security systems.”

Bald spent nearly 29 years at the FBI, where he gained broad experience and received numerous honors and awards for his exemplary leadership in both national security and criminal law enforcement. In his most recent job, at the National Security Branch, Bald headed the bureau’s counterterrorism, counterintelligence and intelligence programs worldwide and directed the efforts of 19,000 employees.

In earlier positions, he ran the individual divisions accountable for the agency’s counterterrorism and counterintelligence activities. Bald spent much of his FBI career in law enforcement in the field.

Among Bald’s most recent honors are the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service and the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Partnerships in Law Enforcement in 2004, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Award for Outstanding Contribution in Law Enforcement and the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in Investigation in 2003.

“I couldn’t be more excited about coming to work for this company,” Bald said. “For nearly 29 years, I have worked for the finest organization in the world at what it does, and I wanted to work for an organization that has an equal standing in its industry.”

“I want to take the best and make it better,” he added.

Bald received his bachelor of science degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1976, and master’s degree in Forensic Science from George Washington University in 1981.

He will begin his new job on June 12.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, with a combined total of 29 ships in service and five under construction. The company also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe through its cruise-tour division. Additional information can be found on http://www.royalcaribbean.com , http://www.celebritycruises.com or http://www.rclinvestor.com .

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
-CONTACT: Lynn Martenstein, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.,
+1-305-539-6570
Web site: http://www.royalcaribbean.com