Tom Stieghorst
A conference for aquatic professionals was held last week on Royal Caribbean International's Majesty of the Seas, and it could be a harbinger of things to come on the pool deck of Royal ships.
The conference was organized by IAM Starguard Elite, a company organized in 2015 to provide lifeguard training, certification and auditing, aquatic consulting and risk management to the attractions industry.
IAM Starguard had over 70 water park and large public or private aquatic clients at the time of its formation. Executives of the Windermere, Fla.-based company have worked for top water park operators including Walt Disney World and Six Flags.
The conference takes on added significance in light of Royal Caribbean's recent website postings seeking lifeguard managers, something that it currently does not have on any of its 25 ships.
Several weeks ago when news of the advertisements surfaced, Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean International's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said the company had nothing to announce.
Starguard, the company offering the conference onboard the Majesty, is listed as the contractor in several recent ads seeking lifeguards to work on Royal ships.
In September, Starguard was an exhibitor at the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's annual trade conference in San Juan. In a statement, the company said it showcased a comprehensive training program that includes CPR, automatic external defibrillators, basic first aid, and water awareness for tour operator employees.
Royal Caribbean, which recently added waterslides on its ships, would be a big new client for Starguard. And it would be a bridge to the cruise industry at large, which, with the exception of Disney Cruise Line, does not post lifeguards at its pools, slides or splash attractions.
Starguard has experience with large venues. One of its clients is Atlantis, the sprawling mega-resort in the Bahamas. The conference aboard the Majesty included a day's worth of on-site training at Atlantis.
One of the concerns for the cruise industry in posting lifeguards has been the increased exposure to litigation when accidents occur. Tellingly, "litigation support" is listed as one of the services offered on the IAM Starguard website.
If Royal Caribbean does move into lifeguarding, it will be interesting to see if the rest of the industry takes the plunge, as well.