Princess Cruises owner suspends all trips for two months
The cruise operator Carnival is halting the journeys of all ships in its Princess Cruises line for two months because of the global spread of coronavirus.
Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, said it would voluntarily pause all 18 vessels which sail under the Princess Cruises brand, affecting all voyages departing between 12 March and 10 May.
Shares in the company plummeted by 17% on the London stock exchange, to £18, while its US shares were halted in pre-market trading. In January, the shares were changing hands at nearly £52.
The president of Princess Cruises, Jan Swartz, said the company had taken the decision in order to reassure passengers, employees and investors.
Passengers currently on one of the vessels would complete their journeys as expected if the cruise was due to end in the next five days. Those on longer voyages would disembark early at alternative locations.
Princess Cruises, which has more than 50,000 passengers from 70 countries onboard its ships each day, has been especially hard hit by the spread of Covid-19.
One vessel, the Diamond Princess, was quarantined for two weeks off the coast of Japan, with 3,000 passengers and crew onboard, as it became a floating breeding ground for the virus, resulting in at least seven deaths.
Shortly afterwards, the Grand Princess ship was held off California after it was linked to the death of a US man who had previously travelled onboard.
A couple from Florida who were on the cruise liner have filed a $1m lawsuit against Princess Cruises, accusing it of failing to protect passengers from the outbreak.
Carnival’s decision to suspend operations follows that of the river and ocean cruise operator Viking Cruises. The Switzerland-based firm announced on Wednesday it would temporarily stop all departures between 12 March and 30 April.