Carnival Cruise Bookings Soar After It Eases COVID Testing Requirements

By Dave Simpson
Carnival Cruise Bookings Soar After It Eases COVID Testing Requirements

Carnival Cruise Line said booking activity nearly doubled pre-pandemic levels on Monday 15 August after it announced an ease in COVID-19 testing requirements for passengers, sending its shares more than 3% higher.

Details

The company's parent, Carnival Corp, said on Friday 12 August it would drop mandatory testing for guests vaccinated against COVID-19 and allow unvaccinated passengers to travel without an exemption in some cases, after a similar move by rival Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

"Mid-August is typically not a busy month for cruise bookings, but it's clear that pent-up demand for Carnival has not been satisfied and guests are responding very favorably to our updated protocols," Cristine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement on Tuesday 16 August.

Bounced Back

The cruise industry has bounced back in recent months from an over one-year-long sailing pause caused by COVID-19, but rising inflation and labor shortages pose risks to its outlook.

News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.

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