Cruise News: Pushback Over Royal Caribbean's Bahamas Beach Resort, China Opens to Cruise Ships

Editorial Summary

Doug Parker reports on several developments within the cruise industry, beginning with opposition to a Royal Caribbean project in the Bahamas. While Royal Caribbean received approval for a 100 million dollar beach club on the western end of Paradise Island scheduled to open in 2025, Audrey Oswell, president of Atlantis Resorts, is requesting government intervention. The concerns cited include potential environmental impacts regarding wastewater treatment, desalination, and the disruption of local reefs during the construction of overwater cabanas. The new facility is expected to accommodate one thousand guests daily across seventeen acres. In international news, China has reopened to international tourism, allowing cruise ships to return to ports like Hong Kong. Travelers entering China must provide a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours of departure. Additionally, South Korea has welcomed its first cruise ship in three years. Regarding onboard amenities, Carnival is expanding its Alchemy bar offerings to include alcohol free versions of popular cocktails such as the Martini Seduction and the Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini. These non alcoholic options are currently available fleet wide and will soon arrive on Australian ships. Finally, the report notes mixed performance for cruise line stocks, with Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian showing varying percentage changes.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.