Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises will extend suspensions until May. FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti and more.
Royal Caribbean Group is set to test COVID-19 on its ships when cruise operations return, according to an executive.
“It is very likely that testing will take place,” said Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean International, offering no further details or specifications.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN POSTS RELEASE, ‘FREE’ by volume of 2021 BOOKINGS
Although there have been hopes of resuming cruising in November, and no set dates have been set, next steps are unclear, despite the order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no-sail expiring at the end of September.
The U.S. cruise industry extended its no-sail order through Oct. 31.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCL | ROYAL CARIBBEAN CROSSES | 57.31 | +5.21 | + 10.00% |
Regarding the new protocols for health and safety, the company is advised by a “Healthy Sail Panel” of experts in the fields of science and public health with backgrounds in medical practice, research, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations.
Beginning on March 13, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company, with a fleet of 62 ships, with another 16 on order, stopped its worldwide cruise operation, which resulted in the cancellation of all sails of the second quarter.
Royal Caribbean posted a loss of $ 1.6 billion. The adjusted loss was $ 6.13 per share, compared to analysts’ average forecast of a loss of $ 4.82 per share. The cruise operator says it burns by $ 250 million to $ 290 million a month.
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“The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unusual challenge for our sector and society. Our teams are working insecurely to get back to service as soon as possible and are doing this by developing new health and safety protests to protect the well-being of our guests, crew and destinations we seek, ”said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO. “In the meantime, we are using this time to refine our operations as efficiently as we can, while delivering the great experiences that so many people are really looking forward to.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
