Shipping company owner Arne Wilhelmsen has died

Shipping company owner and founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Arne Wilhelmsen, died on Saturday in Palma, Spain, aged 90, the company said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises describes Wilhelmsen as a visionary strategist in the modern cruise industry who had a lasting influence on the company from the very beginning.

“At a time when the rest of the world regarded cruises as a niche for old transatlantic routes, Arne saw all the opportunities for growth that were offered. He had a vision for the modern cruise industry, as the entire ‘industry’ may have consisted of a dozen ships in total,” says Royal Caribbean Cruises Chairman and CEO Richard Fain in a press release.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today