Michael Bayley CEO Royal Caribbean International

Michael Bayley

President and Chief Executive Officer
Royal Caribbean International

Seasoned travel and hospitality executive Michael Bayley was named President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise brand, in December 2014. Bayley’s career with the brand’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), spans 30 years. In his former role as President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Bayley delivered strong results while building the company’s “Modern Luxury” positioning, which resonated successfully with Celebrity’s sophisticated customer base

Prior to that Bayley was Executive Vice President of Operations for Royal Caribbean International, where he oversaw the brand’s Hotel Operations; Marine Operations for Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises; Land Operations for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, and Commercial Development for RCL.

Prior to that, as RCL’s Executive Vice President, International, Bayley was responsible for the strategic international business development of three of the company’s cruise lines: Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. Over the course of just four years, he established 11 regional offices around the world, which now generate more than 50 percent of the corporation’s total revenue.

Earlier, Bayley served as Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations for Royal Caribbean International, leading the worldwide hotel operations and onboard revenue of 21 cruise ships and 30,000 employees. Prior to that, he served as Chairman and Managing Director of Island Cruises plc, a joint venture cruise line and tour operator begun in 2002 by RCL and British tour operator First Choice Holidays.

Bayley began his career with the company in 1981, working in a variety of shipboard and shoreside positions with increasing management responsibility, including that of Vice President of Total Guest Satisfaction, Fleet Operations. He also served as Vice President for Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino, one of the world’s largest premium gaming resorts, in Las Vegas.

A native of the United Kingdom, Bayley graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Bournemouth in England, and has attended management programs at Harvard Business School and Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He is a member of the board of SteamShip Mutual in London, U.K.

Bayley has two children and lives in Miami, Fla.

cocktail hour: harvey wallbanger

POSTED ON MARCH 8, 2013 BY DAISY | DAISYSWORLD.NET

19

In the ’70s, disco music ruled the airwaves and, on television, Charlie’s Angels solved crimes without messing up their perfectly feathered bangs. Leisure suits, platform shoes, and bell bottoms were in fashion. Fondue, salad molds, and pigs-in-a-blanket were staples at parties. Cocktails like the Tequila Sunrise, Rusty Nail, and Piña Colada were all rage in the ’70s, but none were as popular as the ubiquitous Harvey Wallbanger, known as the decade’s signature drink. A Harvey Wallbanger is essentially a Screwdriver (orange juice and vodka) with a float of Galliano®, an Italian herbal liqueur made with 30 different spices.

Then, just as disco, white three-piece suits, and fondue fell out of favor during the past couple of decades, so did the Harvey Wallbanger. It faded into obscurity and was relegated to the menus of nostalgic kitschy bars, where it stayed until television shows like Mad Men resurrected interest in the ’60s and ’70s. What was once old become new again! Now retro fashion, cuisine, and cocktails are making a comeback.

So why not give the Harvey Wallbanger a second chance, especially since there is an abundance of beautiful oranges right now. Fresh-squeezed juice from clementines, tangerines, blood oranges, or your favorite orange paired with a good vodka make a nice base for this cocktail, and the Galliano® provides the complex flavor, with hints of vanilla, anise, juniper, and cinnamon. It truly is a nice, refreshing seasonal drink.

This recipe calls for the vodka and orange juice to be shaken in a cocktail shaker. As a general rule, cocktails containing fruit juices, cream, liqueurs, egg, and simple syrup should be shaken to fully incorporate the alcohol and the mixers. Also, shaking introduces air bubbles which gives a frothy or cloudy, effervescent look that clears up within a few minutes after straining. On the other hand, cocktails that are clear or use distilled spirits are stirred to more delicately combine the drinks without clouding up their appearance with tiny air bubbles or little chards of ice that become loose while shaking.

Legend has it this drink was named for a Manhattan Beach, CA surfer named Harvey who drank a few of them after losing a surf competition and hit his head against a wall on his way out. In honor of Harvey, I used the blue sea horse swizzle stick.

© Daisy’s World. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

I have my Own Rum

                      I have my own Rum!

A Sightseer's Tour Of Old San Juan

There are so many things to do in Puerto Rico, that the problem is not finding something of interest; rather, it is prioritizing the list of things to do in Puerto Rico according to how much time one has.  I have lived in Puerto Rico for over 15 years and there are still many places on my Puerto Rico ‘bucket list’!  Here is our great new inforgraphic on some of the top things to do in Puerto Rico.  However, it is only a sampling… there are many more things to do and perhaps in the future we will add to them….

Here are some additional locations that should also be on the list:

Fajardo – Glowing waters of the Bioluminescent Bay; Boating/Marina Capital

Arecibo – Arecibo Observatory – largest radio telescope

Ponce – home of largest Carnaval, vejigante masks, and Art Museum

Coamo- Baths / Thermal Springs

Aibonito – known for its flowers and flower festival

Luquillo – Amazing Beaches and roadside food kioskos

Jayuya – Taino Indian relics

Loiza – traditional coconut vejigante masks

Barceloneta – black sand beaches

Dominican Republic: a 60-second guide

The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation after Cuba, with approximately 10 million inhabitants. It occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, of which the western third is the country of Haiti. Haiti feels very African and most people speak French and Creole – theDominican Republic is more Latin American, and Dominicans speak Spanish. Not to be confused with the little-developed Caribbean island of Dominica, population 73,000.

Top 10 Happiest Countries Are in the Caribbean and Latin America

In line with the 3rd United Nation’s Annual International Day of Happiness, Gallup researchers have released the Gallup Positive Experience Index 014 survey results, hailing Latin American countries as the top 10 happiest countries in the world, Live Science reported.

There are about 143 countries that were included in the research and about a thousand respondents in each country were interviewed on “how happy they felt the day before.” According to Gallup, more than 70 percent of the respondents answered 5 common reasons of their happiness and those were when they experienced enjoyment, when they smiled or laughed, when felt well rested and when they were treated with respect.

The goal of the annual research is to promote happiness worldwide. Collecting data about happiness is seen to be a huge help in creating programs that can improve people’s way of life by making them happy.

The top 10 countries which bagged the highest number of “positive index scores” are as follows:

1. Paraguay
2. Colombia
3. Ecuador
4. Guatemala
5. Honduras
6. Panama
7. Venezuela
8. Costa Rica
9. El Salvador
10. Nicaragua

With these results, Latin America may and could be the unofficial sponsor of the United Nation’s International Happiness Day which is held annually, Business Administration reported.

Also, another similar survey but from a separate independent research was initiated. Jetpac City Guide is a popular iPhone application that administers Instagram data in helping its users in finding top locations. They’ve listed top venues around the world which had the most number of “smile scores” over the past 12 months, International Business Times reported.

According to the Jetpac survey, Brazil topped the list as the happiest country in the planet, followed by Nicaragua and Colombia. Amazingly, Philippines was included in the list at #9, making it the only country located outside the Americas.
International Day of Happiness takes place every 20th of March. This is to celebrate and acknowledge the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of every human being worldwide. The event is participated by countries that are members of the United Nations, organizations, civil societies, non-governmental organizations and individuals.

The Day of Happiness website encourages everyone to join and connect with other people around the globe and share happiness through various group activities. Individuals can also participate by connecting to loved ones and friends by sharing positive thoughts personally or online.

For the original report go to http://www.latinospost.com/articles/56528/20150321/top-10-happiest-countries-latin-america.htm

Mercy Ship Our Hospital Ship Provides Free Lifesaving Surgeries For People Where Medical Care Is Nearly Non-Existent.

                                                         www.mercyships.org

Mercy Ships is an international charity that was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. Mercy Ships currently operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing free health care, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs, agriculture projects, and palliative care for terminally ill patients.

Mercy Ships has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world, with a current focus on the countries of Africa.

Is the Sea Calling? Why can you hear it? Why can you hear the ocean when you put a seashell up to your ear?

IMAGE CREDIT: 

THINKSTOCK

Kevin in Bentonville, Arkansas, just us a messaged a great question: "Why do you hear the ocean when you put a seashell up to your ear?"