Carnival CEO Unsure When Cruises Will Return, Says Demand Still High

The CEO of Carnival Cruise Line recently said in an interview that he doesn’t know when the cruise line will sail again.

According to Cruise Critic, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald said there was a communication sent out erroneously that said voyages would resume on August 1. Donald told the website in an exclusive interview that he doesn’t “know when we’ll sail again.”

While the press release claimed eight ships would begin sailing from the ports of Galveston, Miami and Port Canaveral, Donald revealed the message was not “a pronouncement that we are coming back on August 1.”

Donald said the false announcement proved to be “one of the most insightful mistakes we’ve ever made,” since it caused bookings to skyrocket, signifying many travelers are ready to sail as soon as voyages recommence.

Carnival is also focused on making sure that whenever its ships take to the seas again, passengers and crew members will be as safe as possible thanks to health and safety guidelines developed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

“If we let the science community and the medical community do their thing in the coming weeks, there’ll be more alignment around what are the most effective protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Donald told Cruise Critic. “Within that, along with working with others in the industry and the experts, we’ll be able to develop the protocols that’ll put cruise at the forefront in public health and again, great vacation experience.”

When asked about when he thinks the cruise line will finally sail again, Donald said it depends on the destinations it serves. As the countries and cities around the world begin to reopen to tourism, they will start allowing ships to dock, which will give Carnival a better idea of how to formulate itineraries.

“We’ll just have to see where it goes, but the destinations are going to rule the day,” Donald continued.