Cruise News Today — July 19, 2022: CDC Drops Program for Cruises, New Ship for Royal Caribbean Group

Editorial Summary

Doug Parker reports on several significant developments within the cruise industry for July 19, 2022. The report begins with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcing that its COVID-19 program for cruise ships is no longer in effect as of July 18, 2022. While the agency plans to release new guidance for managing transmission in the coming days, no immediate changes to testing or vaccination protocols have been implemented since January. In corporate news, Royal Caribbean Group has acquired the Crystal Endeavor for 275 million dollars. The vessel will join the Silversea Cruises luxury brand as an expedition ship. Royal Caribbean Group is also honoring deposits for guests who lost funds during the Crystal Cruises bankruptcy by offering new bookings on Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, or Silversea. Additionally, Brazil is preparing for its largest cruising season in ten years starting in October. The upcoming season features numerous departures from Costa and MSC, with additional calls expected from Holland America, Celebrity, and Regent. Finally, the report notes positive movement in cruise line stocks, with Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian all seeing increases on Monday.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.