Cruise News: Top Stories From November
Cruise News: Top Stories From November
The cruise industry continues to bounce back from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with companies returning more ships to service and transporting more paying passengers to marquee destinations. The cruise industry made major waves over the last month, and here are the top cruise stories from November.
Disney Cruise Line Requiring Vaccines for Kids
Disney Cruise Line announced all guests ages five and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for sailings beginning on and after January 13, 2022. The announcement comes less than a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children five through 11 years of age.
Hawaii Won’t Reopen to Cruises Until 2022
Travelers looking to plan a vacation to Hawaii will not be choosing a cruise, as the state announced it would not reopen to cruise ships in 2021 and questions remain about when the industry would restart in 2022. Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) public information officer Jai Cunningham said the state is focused on the “safest possible resumption of cruise,” but acknowledged “the earliest resumption of cruises to Hawaii would be January of 2022.”
Richard Fain Stepping Down
The Royal Caribbean Group announced that Chief Executive Officer Richard Fain would step down from his role, effective January 3, 2022. Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty will succeed Fain as CEO and join the Board of Directors, while Fain will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
CDC Releases Report About COVID on Cruise Ships
A total of 1,359 COVID-19 cases were reported on cruise ships sailing from the United States between June 26 and October 21, based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the nearly 1,400 positive results, 49 required hospitalization and 38 prompted medical evacuations. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimated around 600,000 passengers sailed from U.S. ports between June and October.
Royal Caribbean Expanding Perfect Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean International is poised to expand its private island experience in the Bahamas in the coming year. CEO Michael Bayley was clear that Perfect Day at CocoCay is “leading the charge” when it comes to consumer demand for sailings from the East Coast and also confirmed that the company is “reengaging” on plans to expand and bolster its destination projects nearly 20 months into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cruise Lines Showing Financial Optimism for 2022
Top cruise companies like Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Royal Caribbean Group announced experts forecast a return to profitability in the second half of 2022. Norwegian officials reported its brands experienced an occupancy rate of 57.4 percent in the third quarter, with experts forecasting occupancy returning to normal levels in the latter half of 2022 when the company’s full fleet returns to service. Royal Caribbean also revealed it did not meet its estimates for quarterly revenue, but pent-up demand and growing expendable income has analysts optimistic for 2022 and beyond.
Cruise Lines Bringing More Ships Back Into Service
As more destinations reopen to international travel, cruise lines have returned more ships to service and started transporting more paying passengers. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises and more have all returned vessels to service this month.