Operations management
excursion offerings can meet the strong demand we are seeing from our guests,” she added. “Our teams, ship and shore, are prepared to continue delivering on our great guest experience and manage all health and safety protocols.”
For such an undertaking, the reality of Covid-19 and its new variants, particularly the highly transmissible Omicron variant, had to be taken into account. Initially, Carnival advised any guests booked for November and December cruises that the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) standard of vaccinated cruises must be adhered to and proof of both vaccination and a negative Covid- 19 test at check-in would be required. The company also committed to setting up mobile pre-cruise rapid testing sites at all of its home ports.
Though, as conditions have continued to change, the company has remained flexible in light of a full restart of all 22 US-based ships in spring 2022. “For all of us at Carnival Corporation, our highest responsibility and top priority is always compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we visit and our shipboard and shoreside personnel,” says Roger Frizzell, senior vice-president and chief communications officer, who reports directly to Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald.
“Throughout the pause in operations, our shipboard and shoreside teams remained focused on preparing to resume operations with a gradual, phased-in return of ships in the best interest of public health,” he adds.
Preparing to meet demand Judging from the interest among passengers, the fear of contracting Covid-19 is not dampening the demand for cruises, however, as the nature of cruises offers flexibility in meeting Covid-19 restrictions for holidaymakers alike.
“As destinations continue to open up in staggered ways around the world, our national brands have given us a unique opportunity to resume cruising with each brand independently under local and regional guidelines,” notes Frizzell. “Additionally, the mobility of cruise ships enables us to move our vessels between regions to meet changing demand across different geographic areas.” “At the same time, the expansion of vaccine availability, along with other advancements in treatments as well as advanced and affordable testing, have all supported a return to travel and cruising with enhanced health and safety protocols,” he adds. “While the situation around the world remains dynamic, our teams have been able to adapt and execute extremely well, and our enhanced health and safety protocols have proved to be effective in sailing over 1.2 million guests around the world – all of which has enabled a successful, phased-in return.”
World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
In terms of demand, Carnival continues to attract both loyal guests and new cruisers to its voyages, and there is no doubt that people are ready to sail again. The company can, therefore, work towards a full fleet return in 2022 with great confidence. “Overall, we haven’t seen major shifts in the mindsets or attitudes of travellers, and we know our guests are excited to cruise again,” says Frizzell. “Cruising has evolved as one of the world’s most popular vacations for families, romance, multiple generations, reunions and generally for those who want to get away from it all and be pampered while on board. Those reasons for cruising’s popularity were valid prior to the pandemic, and they remain true today.” There has been a strong flow of bookings and Carnival’s most recent business update in December showed that cumulative advanced bookings for the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023 are at the higher end of historical ranges. “Our Cunard brand just announced that the recent launch of their summer 2023 voyage programme drove their strongest bookings in a decade and even surpassed their previous record- breaking sales in 2021,” says Frizzell. “In fact, Cunard’s two strongest booking periods in more than a decade have happened in the last 12 months, which is a testament to the enthusiasm we’re seeing from guests who are eager to sail again.”
Opposite: The lead vessel of Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel-class fleet, the Mardi Gras.
“Cruising has evolved as one of the world’s most popular vacations for families, romance, multiple generations, reunions and generally for those who want to get away from it all and be pampered while on board.”
Importance of the supply chain Bringing the Carnival Cruise Line brand and also AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn back online is not without its challenges, however.
“From a corporate perspective, while there is plenty of availability of destinations to visit, we are optimistic that we will soon see all destinations, such as China and Australia, open to visit,” says Frizzell. “We expect that to play out over time as the situation continues to evolve, and then we will introduce more cruises and itineraries.” A successful restart depends heavily on supply chain vendors, who are integral to the operations of Carnival’s business. Many vendors and service providers have been, and may continue to be, affected by the pandemic. As Carnival operates on a global scale, however, it sources from long-time partners all over the world, giving it more options when it comes to provisioning or procuring particular services.
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