(TAN): Cruise company Carnival has announced that its nine brands are in the process of removing at least 18 ships from their fleets as they cut costs anticipating a slow restart to cruising. The company said eight of the ships had left its fleets. The rest will leave in the coming months.
Based in Miami, Carnival Corporation with its nine brands accounts for about 45% of all cruises taken in the world. Consequently, Carnival is seen as a bellwether for the cruise industry. All nine of the Carnival Corporation brands harboured their ships in mid-March due to the increasing spread of Covid-19. Many have canceled all sailings into November or beyond.
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The unprecedented closure has cost the company a quarterly loss of USD 2.9 billion, a statement by the company said. However, it also said that recovery signs have started to show up.