Delivering the Wow: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Success

by Richard Fain

Overview

A Fast Company Press book

 

How a culture of “WOW” transformed the travel industry

 

“WOW!” was the word on everyone’s lips as the first guests stepped aboard Icon of the Seas, the largest, most spectacular cruise ship ever created.

Icon was one of many WOWs generated by a standout culture during the tenure of Richard Fain, regularly named one of Barron’s “World’s Best CEOs.” Under Fain’s leadership, Royal Caribbean Group built the world's most innovative ships—large and small—and one of the strongest service cultures in the travel industry.

In Delivering the WOW, Fain shows how a culture united people around a mission, delighted guests, and unlocked extraordinary performance. Drawing on vivid stories from 33 years at the helm, Fain explains how a remarkable culture was forged and strengthened through:

•Alignment: ensuring every employee understands the same clear mission, beyond hierarchy or titles

•Intentionality: never losing sight of the ultimate goal and ensuring that every action, big or small, supports that objective

•Continuous improvement: never being satisfied; always believing that there are ways to improve

•Crisis response: deeply rooted culture as a stabilizing force during black swan events, including the global pandemic

Invaluable principles like these are woven into unforgettable stories which help explain how the company's profitability, guest capacity, and employee base all grew more than thirtyfold. Fain also candidly recounts mistakes he made along the way. He takes readers inside tough decisions during high—stakes crises—including the COVID shutdown—that helped rally 100,000 employees to beat the odds and unify the company like never before.

Beyond its valuable lessons, the book offers  cruise enthusiasts a behind—the—scenes look at the dedicated teamwork that shapes every unforgettable voyage. Delivering the WOW tells the dramatic story of a tenacious culture that surmounted challenges, thrilled customers, and introduced game—changing innovations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639081592
Publisher:	Fast Company Press
Publication date:	10/21/2025
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Richard Fain is chairman at Royal Caribbean. Fain became chairman and CEO in 1988 and has guided the company’s growth to its current place on the S&P 500, transforming it into a global powerhouse. He was named one of the world’s 30 best CEOs by Barron’s for three years running and received the Ultimate CEO Award from the South Florida Business Journal. Fain was awarded the rank of Officier in the Légion d’Honneur by the President of France and was named aCommander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Richard Fain didn't just build ships—he built a culture of excellence that transformed an entire industry. Having worked alongside him for over two decades on Royal Caribbean's board, I witnessed firsthand how his extraordinary leadership combined visionary strategy with masterful execution. Richard possessed that rare ability to see where the market was heading before anyone else, then align an entire organization around that North Star with remarkable clarity of purpose. Richard's insights on building transformational culture and maintaining unwavering commitment to long—term vision offer invaluable lessons for leaders in any industry. Simply put, Richard Fain was one of the finest CEOs I've ever had the privilege to work with.”

—Tom Pritzker, executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels

“Considering I've seen it all in 40+ years in the cruise industry, I was genuinely surprised by how many of Richard Fain’s behind—the—scenes stories had me saying, ‘Wow, I had no idea!’ . . . In this inspiring book, Richard proves that with the right vision, culture, and resilience, anyone can emerge from any challenge bigger, bolder, and better than ever."

—Michelle Fee, founder and CEO of Cruise Planners (the largest home—based travel network in the US)

“This book is more than a business story—it’s a guide to building a culture rooted in purpose, passion, and lasting impact. It’s about achievement that goes beyond the bottom line and a journey marked by bold decisions, deep care for people, and a commitment to leaving things better than he found them. By sharing his lessons, Richard has given every reader a rare gift: a blueprint for leading with heart, sustaining excellence, and transforming challenges into enduring legacy.”

—Don Thompson, former CEO of McDonald’s Corporation

“This book delivers the ‘how’ with the ‘wow.’ It shows how a great leader piloted the operational, marketing, financial, strategic, and staffing transformation of the cruise industry. He shares candid, personal explanations to show that the destinations they reached as an enterprise did not happen by putting leadership on cruise control. Richard offers invaluable wisdom to guide future leaders across industry, across sectors, across oceans, and across continents.”

—Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for Leadership Studies, Yale School of Management