Election may give momentum to US cruise restart, Carnival CEO says

'It's in everyone's best interest, no matter what their political leaning is, to have Americans working again, to have people go back to work and have livelihood. So the election, if anything, may lend some momentum to [officials thinking] how can we work with this industry to make sure we get all those people who work in the ports back working again, the taxi drivers, all the people doing catering and providing provisions,' Donald said during the company's business update.

'The right thing for the country'

'So there's momentum for that, period, because it's the right thing for the country. And it doesn't matter what political leaning people have,' he continued.

'... It's an election year and I'm sure everyone will want to stand up and say we helped bring back commerce and livelihood and quality of life for people.'

Voting is already under way for the Nov. 3 election.

The current no-sail order stretches through October.

Optimism for restart before year's end

Donald cautioned that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could extend the no-sail order further.

But he also reiterated his optimism that cruising could restart from the US during 2020.

'We have every reason to be optimistic we will be sailing from the US before year's end,' he told analysts on the business update call, echoing the view he and other cruise industry leaders expressed earlier this week at the 'State of the Global Cruise Industry' keynote at Seatrade Cruise Virtual.