Holland America Line And Seabourn Named To 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies List For Second Consecutive Year

Cruise lines earn prestigious recognition from Ethisphere Institute

SEATTLE, March 28, 2013 /CNW/ - For the second consecutive year, Holland America Line and Seabourn were named among of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute, a leading business ethics think-tank.

Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Holland America Line and Seabourn secured their spots on the list by implementing and maintaining business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to each company's success and benefit the community.

Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer Kelly Clark and Ethics and Compliance Specialist Juliet Schubert accepted the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies award on behalf of Holland America Line and Seabourn at an event March 6 in New York.

"We are deeply honored to be named to the prestigious World's Most Ethical Companies list once again," said Clark. "We pride ourselves on being committed to having the highest ethical standards, and that is one of the reasons why both Holland America Line and Seabourn are leading brands in the cruise industry."

In selecting World's Most Ethical Company winners, Ethisphere Institute reviews a candidate's code of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction history; evaluates the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looks at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship, and studies nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

"Not only did more companies apply for the World's Most Ethical Companies recognition this year than any year in the past, which demonstrates that ethical activity is an important part of these companies' business models, but we also are seeing more companies be proactive and create new initiatives that expand ethics programs and cultures across entire industries, such as industry-based ethics associations and other activities," said Alex Brigham, executive director of Ethisphere. "We are excited to see the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies take a leadership position and embrace the correlation between ethical behavior and improved financial performance."

This is the seventh year Ethisphere has published the World's Most Ethical Company rankings. Ethisphere reviewed hundreds of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its proprietary methodology through in-depth research and multistep analysis, naming the companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies list. The 2013 list features companies in more than three dozen industries, including several headquartered outside of the United States.

Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies at http://www.ethisphere.com/wme.

Ethisphere, a provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, awards Ethics Inside Certification exclusively to companies that implement adequate standards, systems and programs to reasonably prevent compliance failures and ethical breakdowns, and can demonstrate the existence of a superior employee and leadership culture that promotes ethical business practices.

Information on Holland America's sustainability initiatives can be found at www.hollandamerica.com. For information about Holland America's cruises and CruiseTours, visit the website, contact a travel professional, or call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425).

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the Online Communities quick link on the home page at www.hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc. (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]

Holland America Line's fleet of 15 ships offers more than 500 cruises to 415 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies. One- to 110-day itineraries visit all seven continents and highlights include Antarctica, South America, Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; a Grand World Voyage; and popular sailings to ports in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Europe and Panama Canal. The line currently has a new ship on order from Fincantieri shipyard for delivery in fall 2015.

Fleetwide, the company features Signature of Excellence enhancements, a commitment totaling more than $500 million, that showcase the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine — a state-of-the-art onboard show kitchen where more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and classes — Explorations Café powered by The New York Times, Digital Workshop powered by Windows, teens-only activity areas and all new stateroom amenities highlighted by flat-panel TVs and plush Euro-top Mariner's Dream Beds.

World's Leading Cruise Lines

Holland America Line is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World's Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. Visit us at www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.

SOURCE: Holland America Line