It appears that the cruise industry is starting to emerge from the global-lockdown with plans from Carnival Corporation to start sailing again. 

Carnival Corporation are seen as industry leaders, with 90 ships in their fleet across 9 brands. It remains to be seen how effective the COVID-19 prevention measures will be, but this restart of cruises is likely to be welcomed by shareholders at a time when the fleet is shrinking.

Legal protection for the company is going to be critical with regards to COVID-19 related issues and a review of the terms and conditions agreed to by passengers will no doubt be at the forefront. Currently the brand is facing a lawsuit from passengers who came down with symptoms in March, with the industry as a whole having paid out millions in compensation (both monetary and in future cruise credits) for cruises cancelled earlier in the year.

Insurance premiums are already going to be sky-high for the industry; cover for the cruise industry is going to have to be carefully assessed and will require stringent following of approved prevention management systems. It will also require full transparency from passengers, particularly regarding their declarations of health before boarding the vessel and this declaration is likely to be closely scrutinized when assessing liability for compensation. Co-operation is the key to making this work.