Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the largest American cruise lines, resumes sailing in Europe with a stop in Athens, Greece. After a year of blocking of ships due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company is ready to restart from next 25 July with a very strict protocol: only passengers and staff will board vaccine and after carrying out the anti Covid test before departure.
The protocol is necessary since in the United States the federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not exclude the return to navigation in the USA starting from next summer since the implementation of the vaccination plan will avoid the quarantine on return from travel. In addition to covering the age group most interested in cruises.
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The response of the markets
The news was expected by the sector one of the most affected by the pandemic, together with air transport, hotels and the tourism sector in general. On the stock market, cruise stocks reacted decisively as in the case of the Norwegian Cruise Line, listed on Wall Street where the shares rose 11% in the last five days against the S&P 500 index which in the same period gained the 2.7 percent. Same trend for the other giants in the sector such as Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruises. However, signs of a recovery remain far from pre-Covid levels.
First operator to set a double condition
Norwegian Cruise Line, which will base one of the 17 ships that make up its fleet in Greece, is the first case of an operator requiring the overcoming of the vaccination cycle as a condition. “More than a year after the suspension of departures, the time has finally come to return to navigation – said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line during a press conference -. The turning point was the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine which combined with our protocols guarantee a safe recovery. In the future, given the continuous evolution of the pandemic, we will evaluate any updates in our procedures, always relying on experts ».
In the US, where 161 million doses have been administered, according to the CDC, Norwegian Cruise Line hopes to return to sailing perhaps as early as July 4, on the occasion of American Independence Day. A tug-of-war between the authorities has been underway for some time. CDC federations and the Cruise Lines International Association, the trade association calling for a relaxation of cruise restrictions. In the meantime, the American group will return to Jamaica and Santo Domingo in August.