Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said Monday he is confident the cruise line operator will be able to sail safely 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 the need to fully vaccinate passengers and workers on board their ships weeks before disembarkation and limit capacity on board by 60%. Capacity would increase by 20% every 30 days thereafter.
“I challenge you to tell me about another place anywhere that has this kind of iron-clad health and safety protocols … Cruises will become the de facto safest place on earth,” Del said Rio to CNBC’s Jim Cramer in “Mad Money” interview. “We want to start as safely as possible and that is … everyone on board needs to be vaccinated.”
The company’s proposal and Del Rio’s comments come more than a year after the CDC placed a sailless order on cruises due to Covid-19 outbreaks on several ships around the world.
Norwegian saw revenues fall by 80% in 2020, as the response to the pandemic boosted the travel and holiday industry. Executives hope to resume operations and gradually welcome more and more guests over time.
“It’s time to get back on the cruise,” Del Rio said. “I don’t mean to say I’m daring the CDC to do anything, but I want to hear any comments that suggest this isn’t the best way to re-navigate.”
Shares of Norway rose 7% on Monday to close at $ 29.71 per share.