Christine Duffy: Latest News

Cruise ship steaming off the shore of Grand Cayman Island, Royal Caribbean cruise liner Mariner of the Sea, turning to return to sea. (Photo by: MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Three major cruise lines are set to ease their COVID-19 mask mandates amid a case drop in the U.S.Royal Caribbean announced starting Friday, masks will be optional for fully vaccinated guests.

The Carnival Freedom is seen February 18, 2013 in Key West, Florida. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images) Carnival Cruise Line said Monday that it had posted its best-ever booking week in the company's history. The company reported that its busiest booking week was from March 28 to April 3, 2022. Carnival noted that the week showed a double-digit increase from the previous record seven-day booking total. "The excitement of the industry’s restart, our successful return of our entire fleet, the guest reaction to Mardi Gras, our loyal guest response to our 50th birthday this year, the support of our travel advisor partners — and of course, the amazing work of our Carnival team — have all contributed to the strong demand we are seeing, and this record-breaking booking week," Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said in a statement. CDC LIFTS TRAVEL WARNING FOR THE CRUISE INDUSTRY TWO YEARS INTO PANDEMICDuffy added that all sales channels contributed to the results, including Carnival.com, travel advisers, the Carnival guest contact center and personal vacation planners.Now, 22 of its 23 ships are back in guest operations across all year-round U.S.

reports News 6 partner Florida Today.In a statement issued Wednesday, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said: “We are sorry to disappoint our guests, as we can see from our booking activity that there is clearly a pent-up demand for cruising on Carnival. We appreciate their patience and support, as we continue to work on our plans to resume operations in 2021 with a gradual, phased-in approach.”[TRENDING: How to get vaccine in Fla. | Publix to offer vaccine | Man sends dead rat to ex-wife | Dr. Dre suffers brain aneurysm]Carnival said customers booked on the now-canceled cruises are being notified directly of the cancellations and their options for a future cruise credit and onboard credit package, or a full refund.Carnival

Carnival Cruise Line is canceling most U.S. sailings through the end of this year, the latest sign that the cruise industry’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic could still be many months away.The company said Thursday it is canceling sailings from all ports except its home ports of Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida.