Meet Julie, Senior Product Owner with Royal Caribbean’s Product Development team. Part of the Thrills and Attractions group within Product Development, she's one of the creative minds behind the waterslides, ziplines, mini golf courses, and other adrenaline-filled favorites guests enjoy onboard.  

 

What exactly does Product Development do, and how do they help deliver a lifetime of vacations within Royal Caribbean Group? Read on and learn more about Julie’s role within Product Dev.  

“Our goal is to enhance both guest and crew experiences onboard,” Julie said. “We gather observations and feedback from previous ships, analyze data, and then immerse ourselves in the product to see how it really works at sea.” For Julie and her team, that means boarding the ship before delivery from the shipyard, collaborating with shipyard teams, and even sailing for weeks to ensure everything is going smoothly. 

 

Julie and her team collaborate with other departments and teams, like New Build, Engineering, and Hotel Operations to ensure the spaces that have been allocated in the plans meet the needs of each venue. For example, New Build designs the venues, then Julie and her team review the designs for functionality.  

 

What does typical workflow during the design and development phases look like? Julie explained that it varies by project, but each project generally begins with identifying a need. “Once we have our need, this is where ideation, brainstorming, and innovation happen, then we present concepts to leadership.” The next steps include guest flow studies, defining the specifications for spaces, while simultaneously working with Mission Control and New Build to develop the look and feel of the venues.  

 

Once plans are finalized, the next step is construction. Julie and her team often visit the shipyard to check on progress and coordinate with the site offices, all while balancing multiple ship builds at a time. “During the Star of the Seas’ delivery in Turku, we also visited Legend of the Seas in the bay next to Star to observe her progress,” Julie said. She also explained that when Royal Caribbean takes ownership of the ship, her team is very hands-on during start-up, ensuring everything runs smoothly. 

 

No matter how good the plans look on paper, the real test comes once guests are onboard. To build the next best family vacation, Julie and her team join sailings across the fleet to observe how guests interact with venues and flow through the spaces, and they listen closely to crew members.   

 

“The crew members have an unmatched understanding of how operations function, and where there may be room for improvement,” she said.

 

Each team member has their preferred tools, but for Julie, with her background in industrial design, she relies heavily on 3D modeling and sketching in Adobe Illustrator to visualize ideas. “I also draw from my experience with materials and techniques, like welding, woodworking, and ceramics, to name a few, to understand the build process and limitations, helping to validate proposals quickly,” Julie said. “I find that visuals are the most effective way to communicate concepts clearly.” 

 

Julie’s specialty is thrills – everything from the FlowRider surf simulators to rock-climbing walls. 

She spends much of her time onboard in Thrill Island, engaging directly with the crew delivering the fun every day. 

 

“When we enjoy developing these experiences and collaborating across teams, from Europe to Miami, it translates into more engaging, enjoyable experiences for our guests,” she added.  

 

Interested in joining Julie and Product Development in creating the next best world’s family vacation? Visit https://careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com/ and discover your next role with Royal Caribbean Group.