Royal Caribbean Doesn’t Expect a Big Impact from Brussels Attack

The recent terror attacks in Brussels might keep some people in northern Europe from vacationing at sea in the near future, but the president of the world’s second-largest cruise company said he doesn’t expect business to suffer a major hit.

Speaking on Fox Business Network Wednesday morning, Royal Caribbean Cruises president and chief operating officer Adam Goldstein said the company saw a brief dip in demand after terrorist attacks in Paris last year and might expect a similar reaction after the latest bombings.

“But the world moves on,” he said. “This is a world where people want to take vacations, they want to enjoy themselves. Everybody talks about trying to go on with your life, making sure you’re having the opportunity to enjoy what you are capable of doing. And I think that will prevail here as well.”

Goldstein said the company — which includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and some European lines — doesn’t take global security situations lightly. He added a personal note: A friend of a friend was injured in the Brussels bombings.

“It’s not speculative, it’s not theoretical. It’s very real, it’s affecting people’s lives,” he said. “But I think most people in the world are determined to go on and have the life that they want to lead and are capable of leading.”

Goldstein said the company calls on about 500 ports around the world every year and works with law enforcement agencies to determine the safety of those destinations. Sometimes, the cruise operator decides to avoid a port stop because of security concerns, like it did recently in Bali.

“Fortunately, most places in the world are absolutely safe to go to, but if we’re not comfortable, we’re not going,” he said.