Royal Caribbean has announced Brian Rice, vice chairman and chief financial officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises, will transition his financial responsibilities to Jason Liberty as he prepares for his retirement in the spring of 2014.

Rice will continue to serve as vice chairman until his retirement, overseeing Royal Caribbean’s finance, supply chain, strategy and information technology functions. 

He has been with Royal Caribbean for more than 20 years, serving as chief financial officer since 2006 and vice chairman since 2012.

In a related move, Jason Liberty has been named the new chief financial officer, effective immediately, and will continue to report to Rice.

Liberty joined Royal Caribbean in 2005 and most recently served as senior vice president, strategy and finance, overseeing the company’s corporate and strategic planning, treasury, investor relations and internal audit functions.

Before joining Royal Caribbean, Liberty was a senior manager at the accounting firm KPMG.

“Over the past 24 years, I’ve had the very good fortune to work for an outstanding company in a truly exciting industry,” said Rice.

“I am proud to have played a part in its success, and I feel comfortable that I will be leaving the company in excellent shape.”