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CRUISE INDUSTRY VETERAN VICKI FREED AWARDED HIGH HONOR BY TRAVEL AGENTS

Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support and Service Receives Prestigious Michelle Morgan Leadership Award

MIAMI, Dec. 15, 2016 – Culminating a successful year for Royal Caribbean International, Vicki Freed, senior vice president of Sales and Trade Support and Service for the cruise line, is the recipient of the beloved and well-recognized Michelle Morgan Leadership Award. Presented at Signature Travel Network’s annual sales meeting and trade show, hosted at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the esteemed honor recognizes travel industry professionals who embody its namesake’s most admired qualities. Freed is the first cruise line executive to receive the award, now among a respected group of recipients from top travel agencies part of the Signature Travel Network.

               “What an absolute honor. Having been lucky enough to know Michelle [Morgan] as a dear friend and travel professional who changed the industry, I’m beyond humbled and thankful for our valued travel partners at Signature Travel Network,” said Freed. “This truly is a highlight of my career; and the best way I can honor Michelle and thank each and every travel agent professional is to continue our brand’s unwavering commitment to the success of our travel partners.” 

               The Michelle Morgan Leadership Award was established after the influential Signature Travel Network president passed away in September 2013 from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive and complex form of leukemia. The travel professionals honored with the award are nominated and then chosen by a selection committee made up of Morgan’s close friends and family. The committee identifies Morgan’s many redeeming qualities within the honoree, including being adaptive and nimble in an ever-changing business environment as well as passionate and committed to empowering others to achieve success and influence change.

               “It’s great to see some of Michelle’s traits in other successful people in our industry, which is definitely the case with Vicki,” said Alex Sharpe, Signature’s president and CEO. “Vicki is a passionate and committed leader who clearly loves this industry and the people in it.”

              Signature Travel Network is a member-owned travel cooperative of travel professionals, headquartered in Marina del Rey, California. Collectively generating more than $7 billion in annual travel sales, the network was established in 1956, and today, includes more than 200 member agencies with hundreds of retail locations around the world.

              Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 46-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea.  The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean, including jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. Onboard, guests are catered to with the cruise line’s world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service by every staff and crew member. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 13 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.

              The cruise line sails 25 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. Media can stay up-to-date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should call their travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.

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