According to Norwegian Cruise Lines’ CEO Frank Del Rio, their full fleet of 28 ships will come back by April 1. And also, the company expects 75% of its ships to return to regular operations by the end of 2021.
According to Frank Del Rio, “If anything, the world is opening up, more people are getting vaccinated”. He added that “Pent-up demand continues to be very, very strong for the sailings we’ve operated thus far”.
Vaccine Requirement and a Full Fleet Back in Service
A lot has changed since the CDC allowed cruise ships to operate. Norwegian, for instance, requires vaccination for its passengers and crew before they can board. Children who aren’t eligible yet for vaccination also can’t sail.
Currently, children under 12 years old can’t get the COVID19 vaccine. However, Pfizer already submitted their data to the Food and Drug Administration last month. If things work according to plan, Pfizer will get emergency use authorization to have the vaccine administered to 5 to 11-year-old children. According to Del Rio, if the emergency use authorization is approved, Norwegian will allow vaccinated children to join the cruise. FDA is set to review Pfizer’s findings by October 26 and the rollout can happen as soon as Halloween.
Del Rio said that “Are we missing some customers? Possibly”. He added that “But today, we believe our mandate is a competitive advantage”.
Clash With Florida’s Anti-Vaccine Passport Law
Norwegian this summer clashed with Florida over the state’s anti-vaccine passport law. The law prevents businesses from demanding proof of vaccination from customers and employees. But on August 8, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction that allowed the company to check for the vaccination status of their passengers.
Del Rio said that “I myself got the booster two weeks ago because I qualify”. Del Rio elaborated “And so when the timing’s right, if the pandemic continues to be a threat to mankind, then we’ll have to consider that”.