Norwegian Cruise Line to Furlough 20% of Workforce

By Jonathan Levin (Bloomberg) — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is furloughing about 20% of its workforce through the end of July after the coronavirus pandemic prompted the cruise industry to stop sailing.

The furloughs affect shoreside U.S. workers and some international offices, according to an emailed statement Wednesday.

“The ongoing suspension of cruise voyages is continuing to have a material impact on our business, which requires further measures in order to weather these challenging and unprecedented times as well as ensure our company’s future,” Norwegian said in the statement.

Like Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Norwegian stopped new sailings in mid-March amid growing concerns about the safety of cruising during the pandemic.

The news was reported earlier by Business Insider, which cited people briefed on the changes.

<em>(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.</em>