Royal Caribbean Says Americans Are Cruising Closer to U.S. Waters
Photo Credit: A Royal Caribbean ship is shown at the company's private destination, Labadee, in Haiti. Royal Caribbean International
Skift Take
Anyone still worried about the importance of the Caribbean to cruise lines should be reassured by these results.
North Americans are really interested in taking a cruise this year — from North America.
Royal Caribbean Cruises reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter Friday, boosted in part by strong demand from North American passengers for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
What didn't fare as well with that group, the largest source market for cruising? Mediterranean itineraries, where demand from this side of the Atlantic dropped off following the Brussels bombings in March.
"Certainly some of the softness we see in Europe — the Caribbean is the beneficiary of that," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. "A lot of people who were planning to go to Europe are going to the Caribbean and Alaska."
Bookings in Europe have gotten back to normal levels, but the Miami-based cruise company was forced to lower prices and turn to more
