Royal Caribbean Leverages AI to Boost Cruise Experience and Compete with Orlando, Vegas, and Taylor Swift

CEO Jason Liberty reveals how the company uses predictive modeling and automation to streamline operations and personalize vacations.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty discusses how the company is using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform its operations, from predicting food production to optimizing pricing and personalized experiences. The goal is to turn 'a vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations' by keeping customers within the Royal Caribbean ecosystem as their demographics and spending power change. Liberty says the company now views its competition as the broader 'experience economy' rather than just other cruise lines, competing with destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas, and even pop culture events like Taylor Swift concerts.

Why it matters

Royal Caribbean's use of AI and data-driven strategies to streamline operations and personalize the guest experience is helping the company outperform its peers in the highly competitive tourism industry. By shifting its focus to the 'experience economy' and building customer loyalty through a 'lifetime of vacations' approach, Royal Caribbean is positioning itself to capture a larger share of consumer spending on travel and leisure.

The details

Royal Caribbean is deploying AI to improve everything from food production to pricing and personalization. The company can now predict how many hamburgers to produce every 15 minutes, reducing food waste by 50%. They also automate 90% of their 15 million daily price points to maximize revenue while offering customers tailored options and experiences. This allows Royal Caribbean to retain workers in higher-value roles, such as using demographic data to present customers with additional spending opportunities on things like shore excursions.

  • Royal Caribbean stock is up 15% over the last month on the back of bumper earnings of $17.5 billion last year.
  • CEO Jason Liberty told investors that 2026 is off to a 'great start' with trips already two-thirds booked for the year.

The players

Jason Liberty

CEO of Royal Caribbean Group who is leading the company's transformation through the use of artificial intelligence and data-driven strategies.

Royal Caribbean Group

A major cruise line operator that owns and operates several cruise brands, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Azamara.

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What they’re saying

“We're massive users of AI in a non-creepy way.”

— Jason Liberty, CEO, Royal Caribbean Group (Fortune)

“Now we can predict how many hamburgers we should be producing every 15 minutes.”

— Jason Liberty, CEO, Royal Caribbean Group (Fortune)

“The genesis of it was, how do we close the gap to Orlando? How do we close the gap to Vegas?”

— Jason Liberty, CEO, Royal Caribbean Group (Fortune)

“We were competing with Taylor Swift.”

— Jason Liberty, CEO, Royal Caribbean Group (Fortune)

What’s next

Royal Caribbean plans to continue investing in AI and data-driven strategies to further streamline operations, personalize the guest experience, and expand its reach in the broader 'experience economy' to compete with destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas, and major entertainment events.

The takeaway

Royal Caribbean's embrace of AI and data-driven decision-making is helping the company transform from a traditional cruise line into a technology-driven hospitality and leisure company that is better positioned to capture consumer spending on travel and experiences. By focusing on building customer loyalty through a 'lifetime of vacations' approach, Royal Caribbean is aiming to stay ahead of the competition in the evolving tourism industry.