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Fain: Ebola impact on bookings muted, nothing like SARSFain: Ebola impact on bookings muted, nothing like SARS

Royal Caribbean has not experienced any big impact on cruise bookings due to Ebola concerns and nothing like the reaction to the SARS outbreak a dozen years ago, chairman and ceo Richard Fain said Thursday.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

October 23, 2014

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

'We're not seeing anything like the situation we had with SARS,' Fain told analysts during Royal Caribbean's third quarter earnings call. SARS created a sudden, negative impact.

With Ebola, 'The impact has been quite small.'

The media focus has already shifted from the overreaction to a discussion of why America overreacted to the threat, Fain said. 'The hysteria over the issue seems to have abated even over the last few days.'

He posited the probability of a serious Ebola outbreak in the US 'approaches zero.'

Fain noted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Cruise Lines International Association have protocols in place to contain the virus and expressed his confidence that the CDC is acting effectively to contain it.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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