After an exceptional record-setting year Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to reward each of their shoreside and onboard employees with a share of the profit. Some 66,000 employees will be financially rewarded with a total amount of $80 million.

The decision was made after RCL announced it had achieved its three-year Double-Double goal of doubling earnings per share and recording a double-digit return on invested capital. The company today told employees they will be thanked for their contribution with individual salary bonuses of five percent. RCL net revenue rose 10 percent in the quarter to $2 billion, beating the projected average estimate of $1.97 billion.

"Exceptional results require exceptional effort," said Richard D. Fain, RCL's chairman and CEO. "Reaching the Double-Double required remarkable focus and discipline from our employees, and they delivered," Fain said the Bonus had the added benefit of enabling each employee to see the Royal Caribbean as shareholders do. “We want to thank every one of our people for the hard work that got us to today's announcement, and give them a stake in our success going forward."

Employees will receive bonuses equal to five percent of their 2017 salaries in an $80 million program. The awards will go to all employees – shipboard and shoreside, full-time and part-time, domestic and overseas. Corporate officers, are excluded from this program. In addition, the company will contribute to the Crew Welfare Fund for upgrades to crew recreational and living and areas.