Cruise lines were not altering itineraries away from Mexican ports on Monday, but many cruise companies said they were stepping up health precautions onboard their ships.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., parent of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity and Azamara, said it was placing letters in each stateroom that include a fact sheet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It is important to note that health authorities have not raised concerns regarding the ports of call we visit in Mexico,” RCCL said. “None of our sailings have been altered and none are scheduled to be.”
Princess Cruises said it was “communicating to our passengers and crew that they should take extra care to practice healthy habits, such as washing their hands often.” Princess also said it was “enhancing screening practices” for embarking passengers and crew, and said it would isolate and treat passengers and crew members suspected of having swine flu.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said that even though no cases of swine flu had been reported on cruise ships or in ports, the industry was working closely with the CDC, the World Health Organization and the Department of Homeland Security to monitor the situation.
Carnival Cruise Lines said it did not anticipate that passengers would be affected by the swine flu outbreak and was not planning on changing itineraries.
Holland America Line said it would contact guests scheduled to sail on the line’s remaining Mexico cruises this spring “regarding any special precautions that might be recommended.” Holland America also was not anticipating changes to its itineraries.
Analyst doesn't expect long-term effect on cruising
Noting that about 25% of all cruise itineraries have at least one port of call in Mexico, one Wall Street analyst said swine flu headlines pose a temporary risk to cruise demand.
However, swine flu headlines likely won't have a long-term effect on demand, said Tim Conder of Wachovia Capital Markets.
Despite a significant amount of negative headlines surrounding the Norovirus outbreak in 2002, there was only a marginal impact on cruise demand, Conder said.
-- Johanna Jainchill
