Guests Sick on Cruise Ship, New Airline Rule Also Helps Cruise Passengers

Editorial Summary

Doug Parker reports on several developments affecting the cruise industry. On the Sapphire Princess, a norovirus outbreak has been reported during a 32 day South Pacific and Hawaii voyage. The virus has affected 94 guests and 20 crew members, representing 3.7 percent of the ship population. This figure exceeds the threshold that requires reporting to the CDC. In corporate news, Royal Caribbean Group reported its strongest first quarter in company history, generating 360 million dollars in profit and 3.73 billion dollars in revenue. The company noted occupancy levels of 107 percent, which occurs when more than two people occupy a stateroom. Regarding travel logistics, new federal regulations from the US Department of Transportation may benefit cruise passengers who fly to their ports. The rules state that airline passengers are entitled to automatic cash refunds for domestic flights delayed by at least three hours and international flights delayed by at least six hours. These specific regulations are expected to be officially published in the Federal Register in approximately six months. The report concludes with a photo of the Holland America ship Rotterdam in Half Moon Bay and a summary of mixed performance in cruise line stocks.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.