$100,000 to World Wildlife Fund

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises Award Grant to World Wildlife Fund for Efforts to Reduce Bycatch

11 Marine Conservation Groups to Receive $760,000 in 2006

MIAMI, March 31 
The Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises Ocean Fund today awarded $100,000 to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in support of its Smart Gear initiative, which aims to reduce the bycatch of endangered marine species by encouraging the development of innovative, practical and cost-effective fishing technologies.

Fisheries bycatch is the leading threat to many endangered marine mammals, cetaceans, sharks, sea turtles, sea birds and non-target fish species around the world. WWF launched the International Smart Gear Competition in 2004 to inspire and reward the development of fishing gear that reduces the accidental catch and related deaths of marine species in nets and longlines.

The Smart Gear Competition, which awards a $25,000 grand prize and two $5,000 runner-up prizes each year, is open to anyone, including fishermen, professional gear manufacturers, teachers, students, engineers, scientists and backyard inventors.

"WWF's Smart Gear competition recognizes innovative solutions that safeguard our oceans," said Carter Roberts, president and chief executive officer of World Wildlife Fund. "The ultimate goal of the Smart Gear competition is to protect the bounty of the seas for future generations. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are providing important, valuable support in this effort."

"Bycatch is a major threat to healthy marine ecosystems and results in large economic losses to fishermen," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We applaud WWF and our 10 other 2006 Ocean Fund grant recipients for their efforts to educate the public about the benefits of, and threats to, our marine environments."

Almost $8 million has been awarded to 49 organizations since the fund's inception in 1996. Other 2006 Ocean Fund grant recipients are as follows.

* Audubon of Florida -- Miami, Fla.: $25,000 to develop and implement a satellite telemetry project to track the migration patterns of Roseate Spoonbills in Florida Bay and the Keys.

* Charles Darwin Foundation/The Galapagos Conservancy -- Falls Church, Va.: $100,000 to study the viability of sustainable harvesting of a species of Galapagos sea cucumber within the Galapagos Marine Reserve and other Galapagos Conservancy projects.

* The Conservation Fund -- Arlington, Va.: $120,000 to purchase strategic tracts of land in Alaska for habitat conservation.

* Conservation International -- Washington, D.C.: $100,000 to study biodiversity in the Caribbean and create a public awareness campaign to showcase the region's marine habitat.

* Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment -- Boston, Mass.: $50,000 to fund production costs of the film, "Healthy Oceans, Healthy Humans," which explores human health connections to the marine environment.

* Island Dolphin Care -- Key Largo, Fla.: $35,000 to replace a hurricane- damaged touch tank at a facility serving critically ill and special-needs children.

* MAST Academy -- Miami, Fla.: $30,000 to refurbish and equip a bus that will serve as a mobile meteorological laboratory for fifth- through eighth- grade students throughout Miami-Dade County.

* The Nature Conservancy of the Florida Keys -- Summerland Key, Fla.: $50,000 to support the Florida Reef Resiliency Project, a program designed to provide a proactive approach to reef management in the Keys and along the Florida coast.

* Shake-a-Leg Miami -- Miami, Fla.: $100,000 to provide second-year support of a four-year $3.95 million eco-island project in Biscayne Bay to create educational and recreational sites for disabled and disadvantaged youth.

* University of Miami -- Miami, Fla.: $50,000 for two graduate fellowships at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, with a combined total of 28 ships in service, one under construction and four on firm order. The company also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe through its cruise-tour division. Additional information can be found by contacting Lighthouse Travel at 800-719-9917.