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Cruise bookings jumped 600% after Carnival announced plans to resume sailings, travel agency says

Cruise bookings jumped 600% after Carnival announced plans to resume sailings, travel agency says
CRUISE LINES MIGHT NEED DO IN ORDER TO SAFELY VOYAGE AGAIN. PAUL: THE CRUISE SHIPS IN PORT CANAVERAL ARE STILL DOCKED RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE IS MOVEMENT IN INFORMATION THAT COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHEN THE VOYAGES WILL START AGAIN. ON ITS WEBSITE, ROYAL CARIBBEAN GIVES A JUNE 12 DATE FOR THE MAJORITY OF ITS FLEET, NORWEGIAN HAS CANCELLATIONS THROUGH JUNE 30, DISNEY CRUISE LINE DOESN’T HAVE CANCELLATIONS LISTED PAST MID JULY, AND RECENTLY CARNIVAL MADE PLANS TO SAIL AGAIN ON AUGUST 1. JULIE SYVERSON IS A TRAVEL AGE IN BREVARD COUNTY WHO IS SEEING A BIG DIFFERENCE FROM APRIL. >> LAST WEEK I HAD A LOT OF NEW INQUIRIES AS FAR AS TRAVEL AND I THINK THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CARNIVAL CRUISES STARTING BACK UP AGAIN GAVE PEOPLE THE CONFIDENCE TO TRAVEL AND WITH FLORIDA OPENING UP TOO, I THINK PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE LOCALLY. PAUL: DESPITE ANY PLANS, CRUISE SHIPS ARE STILL UNDER THE CDC’S NO SAIL ORDER, WHICH FOR NOW RUNS UNTIL JULY 24. ABRAHAM PIZAM, FOUNDING DEAN AND TOURISM EXPERT AT UCF’S ROSEN COLLEGE, SPEAKS ABOUT THE NEW WORLD OF SAFELY RESTARTING VOYAGES. >> THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT. THAT WILL REQUIRE THAT THEY DON’T STOP AT ANY PARTICULAR DESTINATION. DO THEY WANT TO DO IT, NUMBER ONE, IT’S NOT THAT CONVENI
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Cruise bookings jumped 600% after Carnival announced plans to resume sailings, travel agency says
Carnival Cruise Line announced earlier this month that it plans to resume sailings this summer, and it appears there will be plenty of people ready to head to sea. On May 4, Carnival announced it will begin to phase in cruises starting Aug. 1 with eight of its ships leaving from Port Canaveral, Miami and Galveston, Florida.Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, said on the day of Carnival's announcement, bookings shot up 600% compared to the same date last year. The combined sales for three days after the announcement represented a 200% increase compared to the same date range last year, when folks traveled without fear of the coronavirus, Cruise Planners said. The company said the increase in bookings is specific to the performance of Cruise Planners' network of 2,500 travel advisors during the period and should not be considered indicative of sales performance for Carnival Cruise Line overall. Carnival said resuming sailings in August is contingent on guidance from the CDC. The CDC issued a no sail order in mid-March and then extended it in April.The CDC said Tuesday that is closely monitoring the situation on cruise ships and reviewing the cruise lines’ plans to prevent, detect, contain and respond to COVID-19 during the no sail period. “At this point in time, we do not have enough information to say when it will be safe for cruise ships to resume sailing. CDC will continue to work with cruise lines to ensure all necessary public health procedures are in place when cruise lines do begin regular sailing,” a statement from the CDC said. The CDC added that it has not consulted with any of the cruise lines on timelines for resuming cruise travel for passengers.
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. —

Carnival Cruise Line announced earlier this month that it plans to resume sailings this summer, and it appears there will be plenty of people ready to head to sea.

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On May 4, Carnival announced it will begin to phase in cruises starting Aug. 1 with eight of its ships leaving from Port Canaveral, Miami and Galveston, Florida.

Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, said on the day of Carnival's announcement, bookings shot up 600% compared to the same date last year.

The combined sales for three days after the announcement represented a 200% increase compared to the same date range last year, when folks traveled without fear of the coronavirus, Cruise Planners said.

The company said the increase in bookings is specific to the performance of Cruise Planners' network of 2,500 travel advisors during the period and should not be considered indicative of sales performance for Carnival Cruise Line overall.

Carnival said resuming sailings in August is contingent on guidance from the CDC.

The CDC issued a no sail order in mid-March and then extended it in April.

The CDC said Tuesday that is closely monitoring the situation on cruise ships and reviewing the cruise lines’ plans to prevent, detect, contain and respond to COVID-19 during the no sail period.

“At this point in time, we do not have enough information to say when it will be safe for cruise ships to resume sailing. CDC will continue to work with cruise lines to ensure all necessary public health procedures are in place when cruise lines do begin regular sailing,” a statement from the CDC said.

The CDC added that it has not consulted with any of the cruise lines on timelines for resuming cruise travel for passengers.