Carnival Corp. said Monday its 2022 cruise bookings are running ahead of 2019 numbers, a good sign that guests will return once the pandemic has eased.The coronavirus has been devastating for the cruise industry, which had expected to welcome 30 million passengers worldwide in 2020.
Instead, Carnival and others halted sailings in March 2020 after numerous ships reported outbreaks on board.Carnival resumed a limited amount of cruising in Italy in September and Germany in October, with lower passenger capacity and other safety restrictions.
But operations were suspended in late October as coronavirus cases spiked across Europe.Carnival’s Costa brand, which operates in Italy, is scheduled to restart operations on Jan.