Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said Monday that he is confident the cruise line operator will be able to safely depart this summer for the first time in more than a year.
Earlier in the day, the company sent a proposal to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how Norwegian cruise ships could travel again in July. The proposed measures include a requirement for passengers and workers on board the ships to be fully vaccinated weeks before disembarkation and for the capacity on board to be limited to 60%. The capacity would be increased by 20% every 30 days thereafter.
“I dare you to tell me about any other location anywhere where these kinds of rock-solid health and safety protocols are in place … cruise ships will de facto become the safest place on earth,” Del Rio told CNBC’s Jim Cramer in a ‘Mad Money’ interview. “We want to start as safe as possible and that is … everyone on board must be vaccinated.”
The company’s proposal and Del Rio’s comments come more than a year after the CDC placed an order for cruises due to Covid-19 outbreaks on multiple ships around the world.
Norwegian saw revenues drop by 80% in 2020 as the response to a pandemic rocked the travel and vacation industry. Executives hope to resume operations and gradually welcome more and more guests over time.
“It’s time to go cruising again,” Del Rio said. “I’m not saying I’m challenging the CDC to do anything, but I want to hear feedback that suggests this isn’t the best way to come back and cruise again.”
Norwegian stocks shot up 7% on Monday to close out at $ 29.71 a share.