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Cruises

Carnival Expects a Strong Year Despite Tensions in Asia

Hannah Sampson

Photo Credit: Carnival Corp. reported strong first-quarter earnings Tuesday, though itinerary disruptions in China could put a damper on the growing cruise business there. Here, the Carnival Breeze is shown in the Turks and Caicos. Flickr / Montel G.

Skift Take

Carnival Corp. is seeing strong demand and a willingness to pay more in its key markets. That's good news for the company and the industry in general, but China will warrant close attention if the dispute with Korea is not resolved quickly.

Carnival Corp. is sailing out of wave season with advance bookings galore, higher prices year-over-year, and booming business for its core Caribbean and European sailings, according to its quarterly earnings report released today. The one big headache is China, which also happens to be a key growth area for the company. Cruise operators including Carnival have been changing itineraries for China-based ships to remove South Korean ports amid tensions over the deployment in Seoul of a U.S. missile defense system. The disruptions came earlier this month after China told travel agencies to stop selling tours to South Korea, a popular spot for Chinese travelers to visit. Instead, ships are adding additional ports in Japan or spending extra time at sea. The timing is especially tricky for Carnival's Princess Cruises brand, which is about to start sa

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