This could be yours for only $775,000 a night. Photograph courtesy of Royal Carribean.
What’s a law firm to do when it grows so big it can’t find a suitable venue on land to host a meeting of all its partners? The 4,200-lawyer firm DLA Piper’s solution is to charter a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The legal behemoth, which has a large Washington office among its 100-plus worldwide locations, is hosting a four-night excursion aboard the ship in May. The partners will set sail from Barcelona and head up the coast to Nice. Sure, difficulty finding a big enough hotel may have sparked the idea. But there’s also little doubt that the idea of a Mediterranean cruise sounded much more appealing than hunkering down in a Marriott conference room for a weekend.
The main purpose of the cruise is for the partners to get to know one another better and find opportunities to work together. Meetings and focus groups are scheduled throughout the trip. But there will be time for fun, too. The firm hosted a similar cruise in 2008, and social events included winetasting, mini-golf, and rock climbing.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. The firm chartered Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, which belongs to the Freedom class of ships. According to Royal Caribbean’s website, chartering a Freedom liner for four nights during peak season, March through August, costs $3.1 million—not including booze.
For that much money, here’s hoping there are no norovirus outbreaks—and, more important, that everyone brings appropriate swimwear.
This article appears in the May 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
DLA Piper’s $3-Million Meeting at Sea
It definitely beats a boardroom.
What’s a law firm to do when it grows so big it can’t find a suitable venue on land to host a meeting of all its partners? The 4,200-lawyer firm DLA Piper’s solution is to charter a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The legal behemoth, which has a large Washington office among its 100-plus worldwide locations, is hosting a four-night excursion aboard the ship in May. The partners will set sail from Barcelona and head up the coast to Nice. Sure, difficulty finding a big enough hotel may have sparked the idea. But there’s also little doubt that the idea of a Mediterranean cruise sounded much more appealing than hunkering down in a Marriott conference room for a weekend.
The main purpose of the cruise is for the partners to get to know one another better and find opportunities to work together. Meetings and focus groups are scheduled throughout the trip. But there will be time for fun, too. The firm hosted a similar cruise in 2008, and social events included winetasting, mini-golf, and rock climbing.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. The firm chartered Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, which belongs to the Freedom class of ships. According to Royal Caribbean’s website, chartering a Freedom liner for four nights during peak season, March through August, costs $3.1 million—not including booze.
For that much money, here’s hoping there are no norovirus outbreaks—and, more important, that everyone brings appropriate swimwear.
This article appears in the May 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Eat, Drink, Shop, Do, and Know
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Washingtonian Magazine
August: Great Festivals & Fairs
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Best of Washington 2024: Where to Eat and Drink
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Do
Best of Washington 2024: Where to Shop
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Know
More from News & Politics
Mubadala Citi Open 2024 Is Putting Mics on Players and Hosting Michelin-Star Chefs
Why Is Babydog in All These Famous Artworks?
Varsity Pickleball Will Come to All Montgomery County High Schools This Fall
Can Any Town in the US Dethrone Arlington as the Nation’s Fittest Place?
I Saw “Twisters” in 4DX. I Didn’t Realize It Was a Comedy.
A Gen-Zer’s Guide to Kamala Harris Memes
MAP: How to Get Around DC During Benjamin Netanyahu’s Visit This Week
Olympics 2024: These DC-Area Athletes Will Compete in Paris