Posted on 04/18/2020 3:04:57 PM PDT by Capt. Tom
Despite mass cancellations of voyages, Miami-based Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — the three largest cruise companies — have raised enough cash to last at least 10 cruise-less months, according to analysts. The fourth largest, MSC Cruises, is privately held.
But will people want to cruise again after thousands have been infected with COVID-19 after cruises and dozens have died? That’s the million dollar question, said Rockford Weitz, director of the Fletcher School Maritime Studies Program at Tufts University.
Travel agents say they are seeing a steady stream of bookings for 2021, according to The Points Guy and industry publication Travel Weekly. Some of those are re-bookings using future credits offered by companies to passengers who saw their vacations canceled due to the pandemic.
Cruise companies were shut out of the federal coronavirus stimulus bill in late March because they claim U.S. tax exemption by incorporating overseas. Carnival Corp. is a Panamanian company, Royal Caribbean Cruises a Liberian company, and Norwegian Cruise Line a Bermudan company. All register their ships abroad, too.
Still, they have managed to buy time through capital markets, as well as through reducing expenses. Carnival has raised nearly $6 billion through new debt and equity positions. Among those purchasing stakes was Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Royal Caribbean has also drawn on about $3.5 billion from existing credit instruments. Royal Caribbean laid off 26% of its U.S. staff Wednesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has made pay cuts.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Yes she’s over 18 lol way over we both are ;)
I’ve told her multiple times... she’s stubborn
I also said if for some reason she can’t get back on that ship(unless in the hospital) I’ll see her in 3 weeks while she waits for a passport from the US consulate in Bermuda lol
The Norwegian "Gem" is the only ship doing Bermuda the end of May.
I might end up on the "Gem" wih my wife on October 16 to Bermuda from Boston, if health allows it. -Tom
Make the corona tests and Dr treatment onboard free and many more will come back.
Just tell her she CAN’T have a Passport!
That’s the one. Fun trip. I like Bermuda, you can go all around the island unlike some other places where you best not leave the resort
LOL.
agree
Never been on one and have no desire to ever go on one.
I hear you and I felt the same most of my life until last year.I’m 72 and in good health but my wife and I went on two cruises last year with friends, and there’s something to be said for free bar 24/7, wonderful high end meals all day long at your leisure, and great concerts and shows every nite punctuated with exotic ports of call every two or three days that you can get used to very quickly! We have a cruise scheduled in November in the Caribbean i,and we’re hoping things will work out by then. Should be a good way to unwind from all of this.
Unless it’s recently changed a passport was optional if you were doing a round trip cruise from a US port. All you needed was picture ID and US birth certificate.
Two things bother me:
It isn’t known what percent of COVID-19 carriers are asymptomatic. It’s estimated to be from 25% to 50%. So doing temperature checks is probably so much security theater.
When passengers on cruise ships had the misfortune to become infected, no ports wanted to let them disembark. They became so many Flying Dutchmen. It brought home to me how helpless you make yourself when you board a cruise ship.
I don’t know what is within the power of the cruise lines to do to make me confident in their safety.
There are many different types of cruises and you can select an American port cruise that returns to an American port, and that cruise will have mostly fellow Americans onboard.
If you fly to a foreign country and go on a cruise you can find yourself a minority American with several other nationalities in the majority, and English not the predominant spoken language.
Hunt around and pick a cruise you are comfortable with.- Tom
Gotcha. Makes sense.
Thanks! Didn’t know about that website. As Chgogal mentioned, the three ships I saw had zero speed. Just anchored.
Thank you.
I knew you were the one to answer the question about what those cruise ships are doing off the Florida coast.-Tom
Who’s ever read their cruise contract? Right. I’m sure pandemics are already listed in the contract.
At most I see the cruise industries modifying ventilation systems and possibly pre-screening with temperature readers but that’s about it. I don’t see them adding social distancing or modifying dining options. Perhaps they’ll stock some HCQ and other drugs on board. By the time they start up again I think Covid will pretty much burned itself out.
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