Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. opens its expanded Wichita, Kansas, facility
Mustcruise
global call center in Wichita, Kansas, with two days of local celebrations and
the donation of $15,000 to a local community organization.
The cruise company currently operates a 350-person global call center in
southwest Wichita.
The company has just completed a 66,000-square-foot expansion of that facility.
When added to its existing 23,000-square-foot facility, the company now has
89,000 square feet of workspace in Wichita.
The $18 million expansion is expected to house approximately 400 new employees
by the end of 2001.
Today and tomorrow (September 29th and 30th), however, the new facility will
play host to two local celebrations marking its completion.
Tonight, the President of Royal Caribbean International, Jack Williams, and the
President of Celebrity Cruises, Rick Sasso, will join Wichita employees for
opening ceremonies.
Tomorrow night, state and local officials, as well as community and civic
leaders, will attend an open house.
Additionally, Friday night, the company will present a check for $15,000 to
Communities In Schools of Wichita.
Communities in Schools is a non-profit organization that assists Wichita-area
children and families with needed community resources at the school site, to
help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life.
For its expansion, Royal Caribbean hired the Wichita architectural firm of
Gossen Livingston to develop a unique, pastel-colored, Caribbean-styled village
that represents the major cultural influences of the islands.
Joining its existing one-story building is a two-story office complex of French
and English architectural design.
Dutch architecture characterizes a one-story training facility, while a Spanish
influence is prominent in an adjacent utility building.
Linking the existing building to the new facilities is a gallery highlighting
the history of the company.
Three of the buildings form a "U-shaped" courtyard where employees can enjoy
the outdoors and extensive landscaping.
Royal Caribbean's original Wichita facility opened in August 1997.
The global call center operates in conjunction with the company's reservations
center in its world headquarters in Miami.
The two centers handle more than 6.5 million calls annually, with the Wichita
facility taking more than 60 percent of those calls - 4 million a year.
The Wichita facility also serves as a corporate headquarters when the company's
Miami offices must shut down due to severe weather during hurricanes.
Friday night's donation to Communities In Schools is the latest example of how
Royal Caribbean participates in the well-being of the communities in which it
operates.
During the past year, the company has assisted Wichita's Salvation Army,
Mennonite Housing, and New Hope, Inc. during the company's corporate volunteer
day - known as its G.I.V.E. Day (Get Involved Volunteer Everywhere).
Additionally, the company donated some 500 trees, shrubs and plants to the
Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita.
(Source: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd )
Best regards,
Erkan ISIK
Anchors Away Cruises & Tours
Burlingame - CA
1 888 516 6306
Patri31
>global call center in Wichita, Kansas,
Oh that's just great! Now we can have more people who have never cruised
before tell us about the product and pick our cabins for us......sounds like
those posters who talk about cruises they never take!
Ernest