Royal Caribbean plans to incorporate coronavirus as a component of its recovery plan, a corporate executive said in a quarterly effects presentation on Monday.
The company has suspended cruise operations since March and hopes to resume cruise operations in November if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifts its prohibition order, which expires at the end of September. The U.S. cruise industry. It has voluntarily extended its suspension of shipments until October 31. Although the company’s executives gave a corporate date for the resumption of cruise ships, one of them said testing would be essential.
“The tests are very likely to take place,” said Michael Bayley, ceo of Royal Caribbean International. It did not give additional details, and added whether the tests would be for team members and passengers or to which cruise lines the tests would apply.
Royal Caribbean Group owns 4 cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Azamara.
Royal Caribbean has cancelled 1,545 crosses since March 13, all of its crossings at the time of the quarter. The company reported a $1.3 billion loss for the quarter and expects to record a loss for the third quarter and for the year.
A tangible impact: Royal Caribbean Group expected to get five new ships by the end of 2021, but will now only take three: Silver Moon in October, Odyssey of the Seas in early 2021 and Silver Dawn in 2021.
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Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas intended to deyet next year as the world’s largest cruise ship, but its arrival is suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic.
The vessel will have capacity for 6,000 passengers and 2,200 team members.
Royal Caribbean Group’s fleet includes 62 ships, with another 16 on order.
Jason Liberty, the company’s leading monetary officer, said he was looking to sell older ships in the fleet.
“We’re comparing opportunities to sell ships,” he said, specifying which ones.
The company reported bookings for 2021 comparable to those of previous years, a sign that the cruise scale may return. Bayley noted that other young people and unwavering consumers were driving sales.
“I hope we see a strong call to repress yourself,” he said. “People need to spend a vacation next year.”
In the short term, Liberty said, Royal Caribbean Group’s joint Healthy Sail organization and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is investigating all facets of security, from whether UV lighting devices can actually kill the virus to how to do meal service.
Some of the proposed adjustments can be costly, such as converting boats to inspire social distance. And such recommendations can be just one component of the evolutionary nature of the most productive form of coronavirus, adding when a vaccine may be on its way.
The company may resume operations in China and Australia by November, but executives did not pledge to report the quarterly effects on Monday.
Ultimately, the prevalence of the virus would increase when crosses can resume, Liberty said.
“It’s a real puzzle,” he said. “There are so many variables to consider.”
Contributor: Morgan Hines, USA TODAY