Updated: Almost 50 percent of land-based employees are either being laid off or furloughed for Holland/Princess/Seabourn. Alaska numbers are said to be far higher. All remaining employees will take a pay cut.
Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, operating Carnival Cruise, Holland America and Princess Cruises, announced layoffs and furloughs this morning. The company will also cut pay of senior management.
Two of the brands owned by Carnival announced changes in leadership, as the companies reel in light of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the entire cruise industry.
Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford will leave at the end of May. Seabourn Cruise Line, which is part of the Carnival Corporation, said its president Richard Meadows is also retiring.
Carnival wasn’t eligible for a federal bailout because it is incorporated in Panama.
The company didn’t say which divisions would take the cuts. Insiders say as many as 1,400 furloughs will occur and 1,100 layoffs throughout the Holland America and Princess companies. These are land-based layoffs, not the seagoing cruise.
The company announced last week that it would phase into cruises starting Aug. 1, with ships sailing from Port Canaveral and Miami in Florida and Galveston, Texas.
No surprises here, since there exists a hyped fear in the population of any high density gatherings. Cruises are going to be negatively impacted, as will air travel, for the next decade.
Most of the fear mongering is media generated. Life including travel will be back to normal much sooner – I predict a year and it will be pretty close.
All or nearly all of their ships are foreign registered to avoid U.S. taxes.
There are many reasons why cruise ships are not registered in US. Taxes are a very minor issue. Regardless – they employ many Americans who will suffer due to our shortsighted approach. We can’t wait to start cruising again.
My husband is Panamanian; for years he has watched these cruise ship companies register in Panama. Now the chickens have come home to roost! Not registered/pay taxes in The USA, no bailouts! He is an American citizen born in California, his parents are legal naturalized citizens. We are tired of large corporations taking advantage. BUY AMERICAN!!!????????????
I tend to agree, but it does make for an interesting dilemma. Out of curiosity I googled it, and I learned that 421,000 Americans are employed directly, or indirectly, by the cruise industry. I get the general animosity against the “big corporations”, but ultimately they provide a lot of paychecks so there is no easy answer.
Sorry, but who is going to step foot on a cruise ship for at least the next six months?
Not I. As much as I love to cruise I would not feel safe and fear we would not be allowed to get off. We will see how things are next year.
Hi Suzanne, I suspect that the cruise line business will suffer for years after this. I also suspect that Skagway, like so many other small towns, will equally suffer. I can’t see Skagway coming back next season after this. On another note, one of my bosses asked if it was me who was the mechanic that said all these buses should be running. . LOL
For small SE Alaska towns that benefitted by cruise ships……..back to hunting and gathering……and getting government handouts again.
Yeah, go back into the cave.
You would be surprissed just how many people are already signed up for future cruises and how many want to get back on ships. I think it goes back to…if you are concerned don’t go. The cruise ships were obviously hit hard with memory of the Diamond Princess. The press has done a great job making most people afraid. We don’t know what we don’t know until we know it. If this were to happen again, the response would be quite different.
Agree 100% – Media bashes cruise lines like Trump. Cruise ships in total suffered very little overall. A few high profile cases like Diamond – but most if not all were caused by misguided governmental policies. Imagine if a case were found in a large hotel and then no one was allowed to leave. The result would be the same. Cruise ships are probably cleaner and safer than land based locations. Have never seen cleaning and sanitizing anywhere like on a cruise ship!
At this time, the Government of Panama is not providing any assistance to the cruise industry and has actually banned anyone from departing a cruise ship docked in Panama. The various travel related businesses in Panama have all asked the government to provide assistance to their industries. Will be curious to see what if any aid Panama provides to them
I have cruised on Princess Lines 34 times and have never cruised with anyone else since discovering Princess! I am an older cruiser now but have known them to always be immaculately clean! I can’t wait to resume cruising with them in 2021!
Amen – there are many just like you!
No surprise here. The lamestream media whips ANY cruise ship outbreak into a national pandemic. In their zeal to sensationalize any negative news to shock and awe the general public into a panic, they have almost succeeded in destroying a large part of the tourist industry. More travelers probably pick up some kind of “bug” flying to cruise port in a small, confined tube for several hours, and then pass it on to fellow cruisers. In my military service, we slept, ate and worked on ships in much closer proximity than on a cruise ship and did not experience the kind of sickness we see today. Remember, DO NOT BELIEVE THE MEDIA! Do your own research and form you own opinion. “They” will not tell you the truth.
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