Carnival Cruise bookings up 600 PERCENT

Carnival Cruise bookings up 600 PERCENT

• Carnival Cruise Line bookings rose 600 per cent after the company said it will resume some of its cruises in August
• That's 200 per cent more bookings than this same time last year, reports a travel industry representative
• Customers were primarily focused on locking down reservations and getting premium deals, says an American Express travel agent 
• Most of the travellers calling are described as young, healthy and eager to travel after being forced to stay home during COVID-19 lockdowns
• The customers are 'not a bit concerned about travelling at this time,' says the representative

Carnival Cruise Line bookings rose 600 per cent after the company said it will resume some of its cruises in August, says a member of the travel industry.

The sharp rise in bookings is 200 per cent higher than this same time last year, reports an American Express travel agent.

Customers were primarily focused on locking down reservations and getting premium deals, says the agent.

Most of the travellers calling in at the moment were described as young, healthy and eager to travel after being forced to stay home during nationwide coronavirus quarantines, TMZ reports.

The customers are 'not a bit concerned about travelling at this time,' the representative told the news outlet.

So far, there have been 1,366,962 confirmed cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 80,696 deaths. 

An Instagram post from Carnival explains that 'enhanced protocols and social gathering guidelines will be put in place' once the company starts sailing again.

While Carnival says it hopes to get back on the high seas by August, the company warns that plans could change and that there are no guarantees because of the potential for further delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

'We continue to work with various government agencies, including the CDC, as we introduce new onboard protocols, but there is no assurance of a return on August 1,' Carnival wrote in its announcement.

Carnival had previously hoped to return in April or May after it first suspended its voyages in March. The date was later pushed to June 26 and now August 1. 

One-fifth of all global ocean cruise ships were infected with the coronavirus after the outbreak began, leaving at least 2,592 crew and passengers infected and killing at least 65, according to research compiled last month detailing the pandemic's impact on the cruise ship industry.

The data revealed that cases of the deadly virus were directly linked to at least 54 cruise ships, as they continued to travel the waters while the pandemic ravaged communities on land.

All four of the world's largest cruise lines - Carnival, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises - were struck by outbreaks, as well as several smaller lines.

At least 922 of those infected and 11 who died were crew members working on the ships.

The stark findings, collated into a study by the Miami Herald using data from the CDC, cruise companies and passenger testimonies, show that the situation on board ships was far worse than official figures revealed.