Jun 24, 2021 - Economy & Business
Carnival cruise bookings for 2022 outpace pre pandemic
- Courtenay Brown, author of Axios Macro
Carnival cruise ships arrive in Marseille, France earlier this month. (Photo: Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The pandemic hasn't scared away die-hard cruise fans: Carnival bookings for next year already outpace those in 2019.
- Half of its ships will sail by or before the end of November, executives said today alongside a quarterly report.
- But the largest U.S. cruise operator's full fleet won't sail until next spring — later than previously expected, Bloomberg notes.
Why it matters: The cruise industry is just beginning to recover from its worst year on record.
- The Centers for Disease Control has given the green light for a gradual restart, conditional on a number of COVID-19 protocols, including proof of vaccination — though Florida has blocked that requirement.
- Some trips have resumed overseas.
By the numbers: Carnival lost $2 billion last quarter — executives wouldn't say when it would return to profitability.