Norwegian Cruise Line to Launch Full Fleet by April, CEO Says

Norwegian Cruise Lines CEO Frank Del Rio said on Tuesday that its full fleet of 28 ships will resume service by April 1 for the first time since the pandemic anchored most of the cruise industry in across the world – with 75% of the company’s vessels returning to regular operations by the end of the year.

Norwegian currently has eight ships in service across its three cruise brands, and all on board must provide full proof of vaccination before setting sail.

“If anything, the world opens up, more and more people are getting vaccinated,” Del Rio told CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” “The pent-up demand continues to be very, very strong for the crossings we have made so far.”

The company requires all passengers and crew to be vaccinated before boarding and does not allow unvaccinated children who are not yet eligible for vaccines to sail, he said.

Those under 12 are not yet cleared to receive their Covid vaccines, but Pfizer submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration last month in hopes of receiving emergency use clearance to administer vaccines to people. children from 5 to 11 years old. If the EUA is approved, Del Rio said, fully immunized children in this age group would be allowed to sail.

The FDA will review Pfizer’s findings at a meeting on October 26, and the vaccines could be rolled out to children ages 5 to 11 as early as Halloween.

“Are we missing clients? Maybe,” Del Rio said of the vaccination mandate. “But today, we believe our tenure is a competitive advantage.”

The Miami-based Norwegian clashed with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this summer over state law prohibiting companies from requiring proof of vaccination from customers. Norwegian said on Aug. 8 that a federal judge had issued a temporary injunction to preserve evidence of the company’s vaccination requirement.

Despite the cruise line’s strict vaccination protocols, Del Rio said Covid booster shots are not yet needed for passengers and employees. But he said Norwegian could either impose recalls if the pandemic worsens or adjust the company’s existing vaccine guidelines as the pandemic subsides and more people get vaccinated against the virus.

“I myself received the recall two weeks ago because I qualify,” said Del Rio. “And so, when the time is right, if the pandemic continues to be a threat to humanity, then we will have to take that into account.”