Handler, Guest Claims Intl

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our exciting team of employees. Royal Caribbean Group is pleased to offer a competitive compensation & benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

About Us

Royal Caribbean Group is the world’s largest cruise line, having a record-breaking year and launching not one but TWO brand new ships in 2025! It couldn’t be a more exciting time to join a global business that is blazing a trail in the travel industry right now.

With our 3 brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Silversea we have ships in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and several North American markets beyond our headquarters in Miami, FL. We cover the globe. No matter where our guests want to go, Royal Caribbean Group has a ship that can deliver a world-class vacation.

At Royal Caribbean Group we never rest on our laurels; we constantly strive to improve our work and be at the forefront of the industry. The work that we do is exciting, challenging, and innovative. You get to work both independently and as part of a collaborative and dynamic international team. We are passionate, we are innovative, and we are unstoppable.

About the role

The role of a Guest Claims Handler focuses on managing personal injury, illness and any other claims that arise because of an alleged breach of contract.  Claims can originate from any market from guests that do not have legal representation or from guests that have sought the intervention of the small claims court (or equivalent) or local consumer body.  The Guest Claims Handler can manage a caseload of such claims and be confident in their ability.

Being pro-active is a key strength of the Guest Claims Handler.  The Guest Claims Handler is a confident communicator and feels comfortable speaking to guests to try and resolve their claims promptly.  On occasion, contact with guests will need to be made outside of regular working hours and it could be that such contact will need to be made at short notice.  A degree of flexibility is therefore required.

The role includes writing correspondence and preparing other documents in anticipation of litigation.  It is expected that the Guest Claims Handler will be able to draft correspondence that clearly sets out the position of the business with regards to a claim; whilst also maintaining the service level set by the appropriate brand.

The role includes managing a caseload of pre-action claims brought by solicitors and claims in the early stage of litigation.  The Guest Claims Handler will be capable of investigating such claims, drafting initial correspondence to solicitors (including admissions and denials of liability) and provide assistance with drafting defences, witness statements and any other documents associated with pre-action claims and litigation.  The Guest Claims Handler will have exposure to both international and US pre-action claims.

The role includes supporting the Director of Litigation & Legal Operations and Senior Manager, International Guest Claims with high value, complex and/or pre-litigated and litigated claims and/or any other claims or potential claims which are otherwise deemed to be complex.  The Guest Claims Handler will also play a key role in department project work.

The role also includes department administration, including setting up new claims, commencing preliminary investigations, assisting with discovery and/or leading discovery related projects.  It is expected that the Guest Claims Handler will assist with day-to-day department administration when the Guest Claims Administrator is not in the office or as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Respond to guest correspondence by telephone and/or in writing after an investigation has been completed. Some additional investigation and document drafting is likely to be required during the life of the claim and it will be expected that the Guest Claims Handler will be able to manage this;
• Manage court papers; ensuring that the acknowledgment of service is completed and to be able to complete other tasks associated with litigation;
• Monitor claims submitted by guests to ABTA, prepare suitable “pre-arbitration” replies and also manage claims that have progressed to arbitration; including defence drafting;
• Liaise and assist external law firms (those acting on behalf of our business), such assistance is likely to include gathering documentation, assisting with complex discovery requests and/or leading discovery related projects and answering queries.  In addition, it is possible that the Guest Claims Handler may need to attend court to provide support or on occasion provide witness evidence;
• Use the internal claims management database (Riskonnect, a Salesforce based system) to access and update required information to ensure accurate reporting;
• Liaise with US Guest Claims, crew, local markets, the Senior Leadership Team and internal Legal teams as and when required;
• To ensure that the relevant insurance company, accounts department & brand Managing Director and PR teams are on notice of any potential high value or sensitive claim;
• Work closely and provide support & advice to Customer Relations Managers/Directors and Escalation Teams with regards to claims and potential claims; and provide advice generally when needed;
• Liaise with US Guest Claims, shipboard personnel, loss prevention, local market, management team and international legal team as and when required;
• To report noteworthy claims, trends and projected costs to the Director of Litigation & Legal Operations and Senior Manager, International Guest Claims;
• Administrative tasks will need to be performed when the department administrator is out of the office and/or when the need arises;

• To assist the Guest Care Team & vessel when a guest is taken ill or has been injured on board.  On urgent or time critical matters, there may be the need to be deployed to assist in the handling of the situation to attempt prevention of a complaint or claim on their return home;
• Assist and/or lead projects assigned by the Director of Litigation & Legal Operations and Senior Manager, International Guest Claims.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• The successful candidate will have the confidence and ability to speak to guests directly by telephone.  The Guest Claims Handler will be able to conduct telephone conversations in a professional manner at all times.
• Superior writing skills.  Ability to read, analyse and interpret documentation for the purpose of preparing detailed correspondence.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, similar software and web based Case Management systems;
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate with all level of employees and management;
• Ability to write reports & business correspondence;
• To remain impartial when handling claims to assess the facts, to be able to make an informed decision;
• To ensure that sensitive information is kept confidential and does not get into the public domain;
• Must demonstrate a flexible working attitude;
• Must have the ability to juggle and prioritise a wide range of tasks to meet various deadlines;
• Ability to time manage in an ever changing environment;
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from the Senior Leadership Team, external law firms, insurers and any other relevant individual;
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts without difficulty;
• Approachable and helpful with a can do attitude and willingness to learn;
• A good sense of humour is essential!

QUALIFICATIONS/ EXPERIENCE:

• Educated to A level standard or above or equivalent;
• To have experience of managing complaints or enquires from consumers or other third parties;
• A good knowledge and understanding of UK and EU travel law including the Package Travel Directive and Athens Convention;
• Experience of claims handling across multi jurisdictions is beneficial.
• To be able to pull and input data from computer systems to provide reports;
• Experience of working within a travel company, insurance company or law firm will be an advantage.

What we Offer. At Royal Caribbean Group, we are client-centric but put people first. We have a culture where everyone is trusted and valued in equal measure, whatever your role in the company. We are propelled by people. Our employees and crew are the driving force behind our success. Our aim is to recruit, develop and retain world class people, who come to Royal Caribbean to do the best work of their careers.

We are committed to employee development, and you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business. We regularly reward and promote success, encouraging staff to take on new challenges and responsibilities to aid progression.

Our remuneration package includes our competitive pension, private healthcare, life assurance cover to name a few. In addition, every permanent member of staff that works at Royal Caribbean is eligible for our cruise request program and friends & family cruise discounts.

With good transport links to our modern offices in Surrey, we have plenty of free parking, a free shuttle bus from the train station, on-site restaurant, and on-site gym. We take a flexible approach to work. We currently work a combination of days in the office and work from home.

Come join the team - Journey with us, succeed with us, grow with us.

We know there's a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance, and more relevant details to answer any additional questions.

Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We'll hope to see you onboard soon.

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

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