Tag Archives: Covid-19

No Delays to Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey Despite COVID-19 Issue Aboard

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“We anticipate that there will be no delay to Odyssey’s arrival into Israel,” said Royal Caribbean International in a statement on Monday following the news that workers aboard the ship had tested positive for COVID-19.

The new ship is due to sail a summer program from Haifa, with fully vaccinated Israeli guests aboard.

“The shipyard workers and crew onboard Odyssey of the Seas are currently preparing the ship for sea trials. They are being tested daily and at this time there are no positive cases onboard the ship,” the company said.

It was reported last week there were positive COVID-19 cases aboard the new Odyssey of the Seas with the ship docked in Bremerhaven for her final touches ahead of sea trials.

German news outlets now report that five employees on the ship tested positive for COVID-19 and have since been disembarked and put into quarantine. 

P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises

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P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises due to depart before 21 June as the lines look to the government for greater clarity on when travel will be allowed to restart.

The date was laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday (22 February) as a potential milestone for when all Covid restrictions in England could be lifted.

Johnson said a relaunched Global Travel Taskforce would examine how and when international travel could be restarted through a newly commissioned report, due on 12 April – with travel not currently slated to resume until at least 17 May.

In a statement released on Friday (26 February), P&O and Cunard said sales for itineraries before 21 June had been halted as the lines “await more clarity on likely dates for domestic and international cruising”.

The brands said they were seeking “additional clarification to fully understand the requirements” announced by the prime minister earlier this week.

“These cruises have not been cancelled and there is no action required from any guests booked on these cruises,” a spokesperson said.

“Should it be necessary to extend our pause and cancel any more cruise dates then we will advise our guests as soon as possible.”

Royal Caribbean Shares Soar As Bookings Rise On Vaccination News

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Port of the Bahamas

by Praveen Paramasivam  (Reuters) – Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday it was seeing an uptick in future bookings, following a disastrous year for the cruise operator, as travel enthusiasts look to sail again at a time governments globally have started mass vaccinations.

The company’s shares, down 44% last year, soared 9% in morning trading (and is up 24% in the past five trading days), as Royal Caribbean said it recorded a 30% increase in new bookings since the beginning of the year when compared to November and December.

Analysts have also tipped Royal Caribbean and its peers Carnival Corp and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd to resume voyages gradually in the back half of this year, after the pandemic-triggered months-long halt.

“Now after 11 months of the pandemic, I think we all know that COVID fatigue is real. People are clamouring for the opportunity to have experience outside their homes,” Chief Executive Officer Richard Fain said on an earnings call.

Royal Caribbean said bookings for the first half of 2022 were within historical ranges and at higher prices, with some on Reddit and Twitter saying they were itching to go on cruises again.

However, the operator of “Symphony of the Seas” cruise posted a net attributable loss of $1.37 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31, taking its annual loss to $5.8 billion.

Royal Caribbean’s total revenue for the quarter was $34.1 million, compared with analysts’ estimates of $35.6 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

On an adjusted basis, the company lost $5.02 per share. Analysts had expected a loss of $5.20.

Miami-based Royal Caribbean forecast a net loss for its first quarter and the 2021 fiscal year.