May 24 (Reuters) – Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd said on Monday it would return to sailing in the United States from Aug. 7, more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a virtual standstill.
The restart of cruising in the United States is contingent on obtaining a conditional sailing certificate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the company said, adding it expected approval in the coming days.
Norwegian Cruise had earlier planned to restart U.S. sailing in July, but later said the time needed to prepare its ships after receiving the go-ahead from the CDC could delay the restart.
Rivals Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group last week said they also planned to return to sailing in the United States, starting in July.
The announcements came after the U.S. health agency began a key step for the eventual resumption of U.S. cruise industry operations by issuing new technical instructions, such as starting simulated trips and applying for a COVID-19 conditional sailing certificate.
Simulated voyages allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.
Cruise companies have been sailing on and off in Europe and Singapore in the last few months. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Sriraj Kalluvila)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021.This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Carnival Corp cut its annual profit forecast on Friday, as higher fuel costs pressure the cruise operator's margins amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Cruise operators face choppy waters as rising oil prices lift fuel costs, with analysts warning Carnival Corp CCL.N could take the biggest hit to its 2026 profit as it is the only major U.S. cruise line that does not hedge fuel.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has ordered three new cruise ships from Fincantieri—one each for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—with deliveries scheduled for 2036–2037. The deal secures valuable European shipyard capacity through 2037 and brings NCLH’s total orderbook to 17 vessels, supporting a projected 4% annual capacity growth through the next decade.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
