- Carnival Corp.’s (CCL) Carnival Cruise Line said that it’s cutting more than 100 ship officers as it retires 18 ships across its brands.
- The decision comes after the COVID-19 pandemic, because of which travelers have stayed home for 6 months, thereby shutting down the industry.
- Nevertheless, other cruise lines have come up with a ‘strategic plan’ which could help in resuming the US Cruises.
- The plan, submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes coronavirus tests for all passengers and crew members.
Carnival Cruise is cutting more than 100 ship officers as the company retires more than 18 ships across its brands, writes Dan Weil for the Street.
Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell informed Dow Jones of the layoffs.
Pandemic hits cruise line
The departing officers comprise a small part of total ship officers in the line, he said. All Carnival ship officers account for 10% of the company’s head count.
Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, continues to suffer from the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept travelers at home for six months, shutting down the industry until at least November.
Other Carnival lines may lay off workers in the future, thanks to the paring of ships, Frizzell said.
- Carnival shares recently traded at $14.26, down 0.2%.
- They have plunged 72% year to date.
On Monday, Carnival’s premium cruise line, Princess Cruises, announced the sale of two of its ships, Sun Princess and Sea Princess. The buyers and sale prices weren’t disclosed.
Strategic plan to resume Cruises
A health panel formed by Royal Caribbean (RCL) and Norwegian Cruise (NCLH) unveiled a 74-point plan that the companies hope will lead to a resumption of U.S. cruises.
The plan, submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes coronavirus tests for all passengers and crew members.
Passengers would have to produce a negative coronavirus test result one to five days before boarding, Bloomberg reports.
“The Healthy Sail Panel identified five areas of focus every cruise operator should address to improve health and safety for guests and crew, and reduce the risk of infection and spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships,” the companies said in a statement.
Those include:
- Testing, screening and exposure reduction;
- Sanitation and ventilation;
- Response, contingency planning and execution;
- Destination and excursion planning;
- Mitigating risks for crew members.
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Source: The Street
