Royal Caribbean, Carnival Among 68 Cruise Ships Under CDC Investigation Radar For COVID-19 Cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday named cruise liners from Carnival Corp CCL and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd RCL among nearly six dozen ships that are under investigation or observation after reports of COVID-19 cases on board.

What Happened: The CDC said it is investigating or has kept a total of 68 ships under investigation or observation as of Monday.

These ships have either met the health agency's investigation threshold; it has reported COVID-19 cases, and additional measures are in place for the crew or passengers.

A total of 36 ships are under investigation, while 32 ships remain under observation, the agency said. It added that 17 ships belonging to Carnival are currently under investigation.

Two ships from Walt Disney Co DIS are also under investigation. These are Dinsey Dream and Disney Fantasy. 

See Also: Here's How Long Carnival, Norwegian And Royal Caribbean Can Last Without Revenue

The agency added it had started an investigation on six vessels belonging to the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd NCLH as well.

Why It Matters: Cruise liners have been hit due to the coronavirus pandemic that's continuing to harm the travel industry. The rising COVID-19 cases due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant could once again disrupt the cruise industry that resumed operations in June this year. 

About 1,350 passengers came down with COVID-19 between mid-June and October, about 1,300 passengers came down with COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Price Action: RCL shares closed 1.3% lower at $78.46 a share on Monday.

Carnival shares closed 1.2% lower at $20.95 a share.