Tag: cruise

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Entertainment

Sunken ‘Jungle Cruise’ Gross sales Replicate Hollywood’s Delta Variant Troubles

Sunken ‘Jungle Cruise’ Sales Reflect Hollywood’s Delta Variant Troubles

LOS ANGELES – As Disney’s playful “Jungle Cruise” demonstrated over the weekend, the cinema visit remains interrupted, with the delta variant, instant streaming availability and muddy reviews all pushing ticket sales down.

Any other takeout would be de-Nile.

Jungle Cruise, a comedic adventure that cost at least $ 200 million to make and an additional $ 100 million to commercialize, raised approximately $ 34 million in 4,310 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore, including Thursday night previews checkout data. The PG-13 film starring Emily Blunt as the British version of Indiana Jones and Dwayne Johnson as the funny skipper on a river boat grossed an additional $ 28 million overseas.

“The market is currently vulnerable,” said David A. Gross, who heads Franchise Entertainment Research, in an email. “There is Covid, there is simultaneous streaming, there is piracy, there is the nature of the films themselves – different factors for each film. Simultaneous streaming seems to reduce the overall revenue of a film in all windows. “

Over the weekend, “Jungle Cruise” also arrived on streaming service Disney +, where subscribers (more than 100 million worldwide) can watch the film (and have permanent access to it) for an additional charge of $ 30. Disney said that Jungle Cruise generated approximately $ 30 million from worldwide sales of Disney + Premium Access. For comparison: “Black Widow”, the latest Marvel spectacle, collected around 60 million US dollars in the first three days of availability on Disney + Premium Access.

Scarlett Johansson, who played the superassassin Black Widow in eight films, sued Disney Thursday, claiming that the simultaneous opening of “Black Widow” on Disney + “dramatically” reduced box office revenues, costing her tens of millions of dollars in compensation . Her lawsuit drew a glowing response from Disney.

Daily business briefing

Updated

July 30, 2021, 7:43 p.m. ET

“Jungle Cruise” had what it takes to be a box-office hit. Mr. Johnson is perhaps the financially strongest movie star in the world, someone who can fill seats with the mere presence of a theater tent. Mrs. Blunt is not lazy in this department either; Her most recent film, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount), was a huge hit in May, raising about $ 48 million in North American theaters in the first three days and eventually about $ 300 million worldwide.

In addition, “Jungle Cruise” was based on a classic Disney theme park ride, gave it built-in audience awareness, and got Disney’s unrivaled marketing machinery going. Disney justified a king’s ransom for the film in hopes that it could become the next “Pirates of the Caribbean,” a five-film franchise (also based on a Disneyland ride) that sells for $ 4.5 billion the box office and created a merchandising bonanza.

At the beginning of the summer, Hollywood, citing the introduction of vaccines and the pent-up demand, had high hopes for a box office spike. Instead, a few films have been successful – particularly those like “A Quiet Place Part II” and “F9”, which hit theaters exclusively in June – and a parade of others has disappointed, including “Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins”. In the Heights ”,“ Old ”and“ Black Widow ”.

In particular, Mr. Gross criticized the “Jungle Cruise” concept. Action adventure as a genre has struggled over the past decade, he noted, although the series “Jumanji” (Sony) and “Jurassic World” (Universal) were exceptions. Overall, “Jungle Cruise” received lukewarm reviews, with some critics finding the film’s computer-generated effects cartoonish and not believable.

Audiences seemed to disagree, giving Jungle Cruise an A-minus rating in CinemaScore’s exit polls.

In a statement on Sunday, Disney said, “We continue to focus on giving consumers choice in these unprecedented times, and it is clear that fans and families will appreciate the opportunity to make choices about how to enjoy Disney’s world-class storytelling dearest want to enjoy. ”

With the ongoing coronavirus threat around the world, Disney noted, “Markets are open to varying degrees and not all exhibitors are currently open. Most markets also have capacity restrictions. ”According to Comscore, around 85 percent of theaters in North America are open.

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World News

Italy’s Authorities to Ban Cruise Ships From Venice

Italy’s Government to Ban Cruise Ships From Venice

Italy announced on Tuesday that it was banning large cruise ships from entering Venice’s waters and was also declaring the city’s lagoon a national monument, in a move to protect a fragile ecosystem from the downsides of mass tourism.

The ban, demanded for decades by both Venice residents and environmentalists, will take effect on Aug. 1.

“The intervention could no longer be delayed,” Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, said in a statement.

In recent weeks, as cruise ships returned to Venice after the pause imposed by the pandemic, protesters in the city rallied on small boats and on the waterfront with “No big boats” flags. Last Sunday, they demonstrated during the Group of 20 summit for economic ministers that took place in the city, attracting international media attention.

“My heartbeat is so fast I could be having a heart attack,” said Tommaso Cacciari, an activist and spokesman for the No Big Ship Committee, responding to Tuesday’s announcement. “We have been fighting for 10 years, and now this victory feels almost unbelievable.”

In April, the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced that it was planning to ban large cruise ships from the San Marco basin, the San Marco canal and the Giudecca canal, but no date for the ban was set. Also, the prohibition was conditioned on the building of a new port where tourists could disembark to visit the city, a project that could take years.

Tuesday’s decision removed that condition, so the ban could be enforced in weeks, not years.

Mr. Franceschini explained that the government had drafted the urgent decree to avoid “the real risk of the city being put on the blacklist of “World Heritage in Danger” sites established by UNESCO, the United Nations culture body.

In 2019, UNESCO warned Venice about the “damage caused by a steady stream of cruise ships.” Before a UNESCO World Heritage Committee beginning later this week that could have seen Venice added to the blacklist, the Italian government approved the decree making Venice’s waterways a national monument, a status usually given to artworks and historical buildings that puts the lagoon under enhanced state protection.

Over the last 10 years, Venice has been caught up in a clash between those representing the economic interests of cruise traffic — which employs thousands of people in the area — and others who want to protect a delicate environment from gigantic boats that disgorge tourists en masse.

The ban applies to ships that are either heavier than 25,000 tons, longer than 180 meters (about 590 feet), taller than 35 meters (about 115 feet), or that employ more than a set amount of fuel in maneuvering. The ban is such that even large yachts could be affected.

The government also decided to give power to the regional port authority to determine how five temporary docks can be built in Marghera, a nearby industrial port, while respecting maritime safety and environmental laws.

The intention to divert the cruise ships to the port of Marghera has raised eyebrows. The port is built for cargo ships and is not nearly as picturesque as the city’s lagoon. Moreover, the port’s channel is not large and deep enough for most cruise ships and would require major construction work.

Among the many projects considered by governments over the years, one envisioned a permanent passenger terminal at the Lido entrance to the lagoon. Activists considered that the best solution for the city and for the cruise industry.

Mr. Draghi’s cabinet also moved on Tuesday to establish compensation for sailing companies that will be affected by the ban and for other businesses connected to the cruise traffic inside the lagoon.

“It is a positive decision and could be the beginning of a new era,” said Francesco Galietti, national director for the Cruise Lines International Association. He added that the association has been asking for the temporary docking sites in Marghera since 2012.

The cruise industry is hoping, Mr. Galietti said, that the new docking sites would be ready in 2022, when tourists are expected to return en masse to cruises. This year, only 20 liners were expected to arrive in Venice.

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Business

To Take a look at Covid Protocols, Cruise Traces Flip to Volunteer Guinea Pigs

To Test Covid Protocols, Cruise Lines Turn to Volunteer Guinea Pigs

Since March of last year, cruise ships carrying more than 250 people have been prohibited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from sailing in U.S. waters. To start again, they need to follow a complex process that, in some cases, involves simulated cruises designed to test Covid-19 protocols. Hundreds of thousands of frustrated and restless cruise fans have lined up to be guinea pigs.

Jennifer Juenke is one of them.

“Ever since the C.D.C. shut down the cruise industry, we have been living through a complete nightmare,” said Ms. Juenke, one of more than 250,000 people who signed up for a test sailing with Royal Caribbean, a major cruise company. “It has been too long, and we are just raring to go.”

On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean became the first cruise line to receive approval from the C.D.C. to conduct simulated voyages, which are planned for its Freedom of the Seas ship starting from PortMiami in Florida in late June.

For some of the volunteers, it’s a way to offer support to the $150 billion industry, which has been decimated by the pandemic. For others it’s a chance to get a feel for what post-pandemic cruising will feel like. But for most who’ve raised their hands, it’s a way to sate their longing to get back on a boat after more than a year of being stuck onshore.

“The C.D.C. has been holding us all captive and I really can’t wait any longer, I can’t wait until July,” said Justin Marks, a 59-year-old retired Alabama resident, referring to one target date that has been floated for when ships might start sailing.

Mr. Marks, who has 12 cruises booked through 2022, is undeterred by the outbreaks onboard cruise ships at the start of the pandemic last year.

“I’m dying to be picked for the test cruise, mostly because I need to start cruising again for my sanity,” he said, “but also because I want to show the world how much safer a cruise ship is than any plane or hotel that has been allowed to operate throughout the whole pandemic.”

Exactly how the cruise lines will return to operations in the United States remains unclear. Earlier this month, the C.D.C. said it would allow cruise lines to skip test voyages if they attest that 98 percent of the crew and 95 percent of passengers on board a cruise are fully vaccinated.

Several major cruise companies have already announced Alaska sailings starting in late July, which will require all passengers to prove that they are vaccinated. But in Florida, the cruise lines’ biggest U.S. departure point, recently enacted state law bans businesses from requiring proof of immunizations from people seeking to use their services.

Florida officials have said they will not exempt the cruise lines. If cruise companies decide to sail with a mix of vaccinated and non-vaccinated passengers, they will have to carry out simulation cruises with volunteers to test health and safety protocols.

That has avid cruisers like Mark Zumo, 53, from Baton Rouge, La., eager to help out, even though, he said, he realizes the test cruises will not be like the real thing. (He had 20 cruises canceled during the pandemic and has already booked 25 between this August and December 2022.)

“A lot of people think it’s going to be a free holiday, but I realize that it won’t be,” he said. “It’s about testing Covid protocols and could mean being confined to your room for the entire cruise.”

“But I’m more than willing to do it,” he continued. “When you look at the devastation caused by the shutting down of the cruise industry, it reaches so far — from farmers to port workers to hotels and taxi cabs. I’ll do whatever I can to help get things running again.”

The simulated voyages must be between two to seven days in length with at least one overnight stay, according to C.D.C. guidelines. They are required to test embarkation and disembarkation procedures, medical evacuations, onboard activities such as meal service and entertainment, recreational activities like fitness classes and swimming, and shore excursions.

All volunteers will be issued with a written notice advising them about the risks of participating in health and safety protocols that are unproved and untested in the United States.

Most of the simulation cruise volunteers said they are fully vaccinated and do not have safety concerns about testing out health protocols for upcoming voyages. More than 66,000 people joined Royal Caribbean’s Facebook group “Volunteers of the Seas” to express interest in the initiative. “I feel safer on a cruise ship than I do in my grocery store,” Ms. Juenke said. “Cruises have restarted in Europe and it’s going fine.”

MSC, a global cruise line based in Geneva, Switzerland, was the first major cruise company to resume international sailings in Europe, which it started last August. It has relied on a stringent testing and contact tracing program to avoid large Covid outbreaks like the one on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan last year where 700 people became infected with the disease and 14 people died.

“At the beginning we must appreciate that no one knew anything about the virus and how it behaved and was transmitted,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, the executive chairman of MSC Cruises and global chair of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s trade group.

“We have come so far from that moment in terms of scientific knowledge and technology,” he said.

On MSC European cruises, all guests receive antigen tests when they board and if they test positive, they are given an additional PCR test. Non-vaccinated guests boarding its cruises in Britain must also present proof of a PCR test taken 48 hours before they embark. Passengers are also tested mid-cruise after three or four days and are required to wear contact tracing bracelets so that they can be tracked down if someone they have come into contact with tests positive.

All passengers who test positive while on board are isolated until the ship returns to the port of embarkation or have the option to disembark at the next port of call if they need urgent medical attention. MSC said it had identified a handful of positive cases on board its ships since resuming operations last year, which were handled swiftly and effectively, but declined to provide the exact number of cases.

On Monday, four crew members on board Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas, tested positive for Covid-19 en route to the United States from Israel. The ship was not carrying passengers and the crew members were immediately isolated before disembarking in Spain, Royal Caribbean said.

Mr. Vago views MSC’s protocols — which run to 700 pages — as a model for the industry and after participating in a recent technical round table discussion between the C.D.C. and cruise industry representatives in Washington, he said he is optimistic that U.S. cruises will begin again this summer.

“People have been really affected psychologically by this pandemic and we understand how important and urgent it is for them to be able to get back out there and see a sunset and mingle,” Mr. Vago said.

After receiving brain surgery last year and working night shifts as a surgery technician at a hospital, Cristie Nino, of Salinas, Calif., said she is ready to volunteer on a test cruise.

“I think I would be the perfect person to go on one of these test cruises because I’m not scared,” she said. “I’ve been on the Covid floor, I’ve seen Covid patients, I’ve been through the toughest part.”

Cruise ships, she said, “have always been a cesspool for viruses, like planes, and I think there were risks at the height of the pandemic, but now with vaccines and health and safety measures I think they are ready to go again.”

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Health

Norwegian Cruise CEO says U.S. ships are unlikely to sail this summer season

Norwegian Cruise CEO says U.S. ships are unlikely to sail this summer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will allow cruise lines to resume operations this summer, but Frank Del Rio, CEO of the Norwegian cruise line, says it will be unlikely given the agency’s high demands.

“I seriously doubt we can deploy a ship from a US port in July. August is also in jeopardy, all due to the incoherent guidelines of the CDC,” said Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, on the closing of CNBC bell. “What we received yesterday was anything but a clear path to restart.”

The company announced that international cruises will resume from Greece, Spain, Italy, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica from July.

The CDC issued technical guidelines for the cruise industry last week, announcing that it would allow the industry to resume operations by midsummer.

Del Rio claimed the requirements of the cruise industry are stricter than any other industry.

“The unfair treatment that the industry has endured for over a year continues. It has to stop, it is unfair, it is un-American and it is certainly contrary to the goals set by the president [Joe] Biden, “said Del Rio.

The CDC issued guidelines to start simulated voyages and apply for conditional Covid-19 sailing certificates with restricted passenger travel.

“We have never seen this demand in the company’s history,” said Del Rio. “Not only do we have significantly more bookings for 2022 at this point, but they are also available at higher prices.”

The company said the time it takes to prepare its ships will delay the restart of cruises.

“We will vaccinate 100% of everyone on board our ship. We are frankly amazed at why the CDC continues to place high demands on our industry,” said Del Rio.

The company’s stock closed 6.8% on Tuesday after Norwegian posted less-than-expected quarterly losses before the bell and missed sales expectations. Shares rose less than 1% as trading expanded.

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Health

Cruise Line Threatens to Skip Florida Ports Over Proof-of-Vaccination Ban

Cruise Line Threatens to Skip Florida Ports Over Proof-of-Vaccination Ban

Norwegian Cruise Line threatens to keep its ships out of Florida ports after the state enacted laws prohibiting companies from requesting proof of Covid-19 vaccination in exchange for services.

The company, which plans to launch its first cruises to the Caribbean and Europe in the summer and fall, offers limited capacity trips and requires all guests and crew to be vaccinated for bookings by at least the end of October.

During a quarterly earnings call Thursday, Frank Del Rio, managing director of Norwegian Cruise Line, said the issue had been discussed with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican. Mr Del Rio said if the cruise line had to skip the ports of Florida, it could operate from other states or the Caribbean.

“We definitely hope it doesn’t come to that,” said Mr Del Rio. “Everyone wants to operate from Florida. It’s a very lucrative market. “

The conflict between Norwegian Cruise Line and Florida is one of the many that is likely to surface when it comes to how states and companies go about whether or not proof of vaccination is required. While some states are not yet taking a position on companies that require vaccines, others are already using such protocols.

At many New York events, such as Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association games, state health and safety guidelines require fans to provide a vaccination certificate or negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of attending.

“We hope this has not become legal or political football,” said Del Rio on the conference call.

Norwegian Cruise Line is headquartered in Florida, along with Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Corporation. According to an economic analysis prepared for the Cruise Lines International Association last year, around 60 percent of all US cruise ships in 2019 came from ports in Florida.

In a business update on Thursday, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that bookings for the first half of 2022 were seeing “robust future demand” that was “well ahead” of 2019 bookings. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the company announced a pre-sale of $ 1.3 billion in tickets.

Florida law not only prohibits companies from providing evidence of vaccination, but also prevents state and local authorities from closing personal learning companies or schools unless there is a hurricane emergency.

Updated

May 8, 2021, 2:21 p.m. ET

“I have refused to take the same approach as other lockdown governors,” DeSantis said in a statement on Monday when he signed the bill. “Florida protects your personal choice about vaccinations and no company or government agency can deny you services based on your choice.”

His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday and Norwegian Cruise Line could not be reached for comment.

“We hope everyone is pushing in the same direction, which means we want to safely resume the cruise, especially at the beginning,” said Del Rio on the call for winners. “In six months or a year, things could be different.”

The latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allow cruise lines to conduct “simulated voyages” with volunteer passengers to see how cruise lines can safely resume operations with measures such as testing and potential quarantines.

The CDC requires cruise ships to complete test runs before they can be cleared for sailing with passengers this summer.

“It is not possible for cruises to be an activity without risk for the spread of Covid-19,” the CDC said this week. “While cruises always pose some risk to the transmission of Covid-19, CDC is committed to ensuring that cruise ship passenger operations are carried out in a way that protects crew, passengers and port personnel.”

The latest guidelines recommend but do not require that cruise ship travelers and crew members receive a vaccine when it is available to them.

Speaking at this week’s call for a prize, Mr. Del Rio said Norwegian Cruise Line had submitted a proposal to the CDC requiring vaccine detection from all crew members and passengers.

It’s unclear how much business Norwegian Cruise Line could lose by avoiding Florida ports. Of the dozen of ports listed on its website, Norwegian Cruise Line has Florida ports in Tampa, Miami, and Key West.

Mr Del Rio said “pent-up demand” helped fill bookings quickly.

“I believe it’s the # 1 destination for Americans in the Caribbean,” said Del Rio. “Who knows? This ship could prove so profitable there that it will never return to US waters.”

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Business

The place is it protected to go on a cruise in 2021

Where is it safe to go on a cruise in 2021

More than a year after the cruise lines came to a standstill due to Covid-19, there are clear signs that the cruise could make a comeback.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this month signaled that cruises can resume – with restrictions – until midsummer, which is welcomed by operators and cruise enthusiasts.

This follows months of increasing pressure from the industry to claim it has been treated unfairly due to coronavirus restrictions, leading Carnival to consider relocating ships and to sue Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Because government regulations and vaccinations vary around the world, seafarers still have to navigate a lot. CNBC’s Global Traveler took a look at what to expect from cruises in 2021.

Which cruises are sailing and where?

Currently, US port departures remain a no-go according to CDC guidelines, although a restart is required by July 1st. These include major cruise excursions to Alaska, where Governor Mike Dunleavy is threatening legal action.

However, the Caribbean has full speed ahead – as long as passengers depart from the islands.

Starting in June, Royal Caribbean will offer a number of routes in the region starting in the Bahamas and Sint Maarten. Crystal Cruises will start from the Bahamas in June, while Norwegian will start departing from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic in August.

A cruise ship approaches the port in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Buena Vista Images | Getty Images

Europe is also moving on.

Greece is the destination of choice for many operators. Norwegian and luxury liners Celebrity Cruises, Seaborn and Ponant are planning all routes with port calls around the Greek islands this summer. MSC Cruises will also be operating a number of itineraries across Europe starting in May, with calls to locations in Italy, Malta, France, Spain, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro.

Venice is part of MSC Cruises’ routes, although embarkation from the city’s historic port will soon be a thing of the past as Italian officials have indicated that cruise ships will be diverted to the nearby industrial port due to a new environmental regime.

However, some operators, including MSC Cruises, only serve passengers who live in the European Union’s Schengen Zone. International visitors should be aware of any restrictions on staying and entering the country of embarkation prior to booking.

A cruise ship passes the historic canals of Venice.

Niels Schubert | fStop | Getty Images

In the meantime, the so-called “cruises to nowhere” are in full swing. As round trips without ports of call and mandatory tests before departure, they are considered a low-risk option for vacationers who want an escape.

Singapore’s no-destination vacation has proven so popular that the city-state’s cruisers made up a third of the industry’s total travelers last month. The leading operators Royal Caribbean and Genting extended their season until October.

Companies in Great Britain also come up with the idea. Starting in June, P&O, Princess Cruises, Disney, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean will circling the British Isles – many of them with domestic port calls.

Which cruise ships require vaccinations?

Most cruises are only offered to vaccinated people.

In January, the British operator Saga Cruises was dismayed when it became the first cruise line to introduce mandatory vaccination. But now companies are recognizing this as the norm, said Tom McAlpin, CEO and President of Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s adult-only cruise line.

Many companies in the cruise industry support the requirement that passengers be vaccinated before they travel.

Mphillips007 | iStock | Getty Images

“We know this is the future,” said McAlpin. “As an adult-only cruise line, we can provide a tightly controlled and safe environment for everyone on board.”

Crystal Cruises, Norwegian, P&O, Viking and Celebrity Cruises have followed suit and introduced vaccine requirements for adult passengers. Royal Caribbean has made vaccines mandatory on some routes, including the Caribbean, while Carnival Cruises has yet to announce such measures.

What will the experience be like on board?

The focus on health and safety will also extend to the experience on board. Buffets are no longer offered and entertainment can be limited as cleanliness is paramount.

“While traditionally cleaning a ship would have been done in the background … the housekeeping theater will be of greater consumer interest and the hospitality brands will have their cleaning protocols front and center,” said Elle Kross, director of strategy at the Digital marketing company Movable Ink.

Vaccination requirements make family cruises difficult as children under the age of 16 are not yet eligible for vaccination.

The image database | Getty Images

In the meantime, passengers can expect new technologies, from virtual queuing and contactless payments to thermal temperature checks and UV disinfection, to reduce in-person contact on board.

“The operators have done a lot of work … leveraging modern technology, implementing new processes, and training employees to work with new policies and guidelines,” said Vijay Achanti, principal of hospitality for North America at global consulting firm Capgemini.

Who is on a cruise vacation?

With new measures and the announcement of additional routes, vacationers seem to be gaining confidence. Bookings are closed in 2021, and Crystal Cruises posted the largest booking day in its 30-year history last month.

The route looks even clearer. According to Google data analyzed by the travel site Trips to Discover, US cruise ticket sales for 2022 are well above 2019 sales for the 2020 season as travelers plan new and rescheduled trips.

The bulk of those bookings continue to come from regular cruisers, said Kross of Movable Ink. Carnival reported last month that 55% of its bookings for 2021 so far have come from “brand loyalists”. But newcomers are also starting to see cruises as a piece of “normality before Covid,” she said.

Still, many do so with caution, said Jeanie Johnson of tour operator Jeanie’s Journey in Minnesota, who found that most vacationers opt for suites and balcony staterooms.

“Although these cruisers are fully vaccinated and ready to go, they are just a bit cautious,” she continued. “You want to be able to reach out … just in case.”

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Business

Cruise line CEOs press White Home Covid staff on U.S. sailings: Sources

How Covid safe bubble can be created on cruises

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Sea cruise ship berths in Port Miami on March 2, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

In a meeting with the White House’s Covid Response Team and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CEOs of Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean spoke out in favor of replacing the government’s gradual approach to US ports and create a clear roadmap that will allow crossings to resume this summer, sources in the CNBC area told.

Earlier this month, the CDC updated their conditional sail order framework. However, the agency has not yet set a date on which operators can resume voyages from American ports.

The CEOs of the virtual meeting on Monday made it clear to U.S. health officials that by requiring vaccinations and negative Covid tests for everyone on board, passengers could sail safely, the sources said. One participant who did not wish to be identified described the meeting as “encouraging”.

A spokesman for the Cruise Lines International Association trade group told CNBC, “For the first time, industry leaders have been able to highlight the cruise community’s unique ability to implement and accurately manage health protocols that incorporate rigorous reviews, tests, prevention, detection, and monitoring and response procedures all in one controlled environment throughout the cruise experience. ”

The time for the meeting this week has come as communication between the cruise lines and the U.S. health authorities has been tense and politicians on both sides have also exerted pressure.

On Thursday afternoon, Norwegian Cruise Line reiterated its request to the CDC to allow the company to resume cruising from US ports on July 4th. “I continue to await further discussions with the CDC and respectfully request an immediate response to my written proposal to resume cruising in July so we can join America’s national reopening,” CEO Frank Del Rio said in the statement .

Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., And Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., Said in a statement Thursday that they wrote a letter to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky sent and asked her to keep the sailing order.

On Tuesday, Florida GOP Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska announced a bill aimed at overriding the CDC’s current framework for cruise ship return to sea. The economies in Florida and Alaska are feeling the effects after more than a year without cruising. The cruise was discussed later on Tuesday at the first hearing of a new Senate Travel and Tourism subcommittee.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced last week that the state would file a lawsuit against the CDC. He demanded that cruise ships be allowed to sail again immediately.

A former tour operator told CNBC that the cruise lines are not a priority after the March 2020 event, when several cruise lines were stranded at sea and the ports did not let them in.

CNBC has approached the CDC and the White House for comment and received no response.

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Business

Government for GM’s Cruise expects consolidation of lidar-SPAC corporations

Executive for GM's Cruise expects consolidation of lidar-SPAC firms

Dan Kan (from left to right), COO of Cruise Automation, Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise Automation, and Dan Ammann, President of General Motors, Tuesday, November 20, 2018, in the Cruise Automation offices in San Francisco, California.

Source: Noah Berger | General Motors

The co-founder and president of Cruise, General Motors’ majority-owned autonomous vehicle subsidiary, predicts a consolidation / collapse of the lidar industry, particularly with regard to companies that have gone public or are planning to do so through contracts with blank check companies.

In a series of tweets earlier this week, Kyle Vogt, who also serves as Cruise’s chief technology officer, said recent reviews of companies that have gone public with such companies are also known as Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACS) , are overrated.

“Something interesting is happening in the LIDAR industry. Over 5 companies will soon have or will have SPAC,” he said on Wednesday afternoon. “Their value is based on * projected * revenue coming from * completely overlapping * prospects, with very little discount on future projections. Is that bad?”

Vogt went on to discuss the SPAC model, saying that one of the companies – AEVA, Innoviz, Ouster, Velodyne Lidar, and Luminar Technologies in particular – may be able to meet such high ratings, but not all. The first three companies have announced SPAC deals, but have not yet gone public.

“Of course it is not uncommon for startups to be evaluated on the basis of future sales forecasts, even in a highly competitive environment,” tweeted Vogt. “But I usually see private markets giving these future projections a much bigger discount than what we’re seeing with these SPACs.”

Cameras help autonomous vehicles to read street signs and the color of traffic lights. But lidars, or light detection and distance systems, do the important job of detecting cars and helping them avoid obstacles, whether it’s a fallen tree, a drunk driver, or a kid running into the street. Lidar also has applications in defense, robotics, aerospace and, more recently, in personal electronic devices like Apple’s iPhone.

Luminar went public last month through a SPAC deal with an enterprise value of $ 2.9 billion. The current market capitalization is $ 10.7 billion. It’s similar with Velodyne, which went public in September with a value of $ 1.8 billion, despite a net loss of $ 67.2 million on sales of $ 101.4 million in 2019 was recorded. The market capitalization is $ 4 billion.

“Robotaxis will have a huge positive impact on society, so it’s important to see progress here,” tweeted Vogt, saying he respected all companies. “But we’ve seen a consolidation / collapse of the Robotaxi space (save for a handful of players) in the past 24 months, and LIDAR is next. That probably means lower market caps for most of these Co’s, which is a shame for everyone involved but may the best product win! “

Outside of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has criticized lidar, many believe the technology is essential for self-driving vehicles. Lidar uses laser beams to create a 3D environment of its environment for on-board computer systems.

Cruise acquired a lidar start-up called Strobe in 2017. The company continues to build its own self-driving sensor technology in-house and “watch what’s coming off the market,” said a Cruise spokesman.

“When we start commercializing, our decision will be based solely on ensuring that our customers and communities are safe and that we are bringing the price of technology down to the point where it is available to all,” he said in an email Mail sent statement.

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Health

Covid-19 exams for passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise in Singapore

Covid-19 tests for passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise in Singapore

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas cruise ship docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Center in Singapore on December 9, 2020.

Rosanna Lockwood | CNBC

SINGAPORE – The Singaporean passenger who tested positive for Covid-19 on board a cruise ship subsequently tested negative for the disease, according to the Singapore Ministry of Health.

The passenger, an 83-year-old man, was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, which embarked on a round trip to the city-state with no stopover on December 7th. The ship was forced to return on Wednesday, a day ahead of schedule, after the passenger underwent a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the cruise ship that was positive for Covid-19.

PCR tests have been widely used to detect cases because they are accurate in their diagnosis, but it takes hours for results to return.

“His original sample has since been retested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and found negative for (Covid-19) infection. A second fresh sample tested by NPHL also came back negative,” said the Department of Health Health said Wednesday evening, adding that another test would be done the next day to confirm his Covid-19 status.

On Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Health announced that the passenger did not have Covid-19.

“The sample taken from the individual this morning was negative for the virus. This follows two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests performed yesterday by NPHL, one on retesting its original sample and the other on a fresh sample yesterday, which was also negative, “said the Ministry of Health in its daily preliminary update of Covid-19 cases in the city-state.

“We have lifted the quarantine orders of his close contacts, which had previously been quarantined as a precaution during the ongoing investigations,” added the Ministry of Health in its statement.

The passenger was taken to the National Center for Infectious Diseases at 2:30 p.m. Singapore time on Wednesday, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

The tourism authority added that all 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew members on board had tested negative for the virus prior to the ship’s departure. Passengers and crew members who came into close contact with the person concerned were isolated while other passengers were subjected to mandatory tests before they were allowed to exit the Marina Bay Cruise Center, where the ship is docked.

In a separate statement, Royal Caribbean said that the entire crew will be subjected to PCR testing on Thursday while the ship is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

A cruise with 4 nights that should start on Thursday has been canceled, said the cruise operator.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world Travel and tourism sectors this year, including the cruise industry.

Singapore’s “Cruise to Nowhere” program is an attempt to increase demand for travel amid the pandemic. In order to participate, cruise lines must obtain a mandatory safety certification and undergo an audit before they can begin sailing.

Only two operators, Royal Caribbean and Genting Cruise Lines, sail from Singapore under this program.