Royal Caribbean, one of the major cruise operators, has sent a signal it intends to be a leader on shipboard health issues as well, naming a veteran public health executive as its first company-wide Chief Medical Officer and, in a second title, Global Head, Public Health.
Dr. Calvin Johnson, who has previously headed Pennsylvania’s state health department and served as medical director of the New York City Department of Health as well as several important hospitals, will work on setting health and wellness policy and managing their implementation.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line last month created a joint Healthy Sail Panel to work on recommendations for new-era health and safety at sea, including how better to manage and respond to epidemics—an area in which the cruise lines came up way short earlier this year. Dr. Johnson will join that panel.
