Royal Caribbean Says U.S. Infection Rate Will Determine When Cruises Can Resume
Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas Flickr / nathanmac87
Skift Take
All of the cruise lines are working hard to figure out how they can sail safely. But executives on Royal Caribbean's second quarter earnings call seemed to acknowledge something else: a lot depends on what the virus itself has in store in its largest market.
Another cruise company reported earnings on Monday for a second quarter that involved no cruising at all. Royal Caribbean Group — which recently changed its name from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. — reminded investors that as things stand, it has also cancelled all cruises during the third quarter.
With the prospect of cruising in 2020 very much in question, the world's second largest cruise company seemed to implicitly acknowledge that its ability to restart cruising may depend less on the ability to crack the code of safe sailing, and more on the dynamics of a very unpredictable virus in its most important market: the United States.
As evidence of that, Chairman Richard Fain reminded investors that the cruise line has extended its sailing restart date seven times sin
