Royal Caribbean Cruises’ chairman and chief executive, Richard Fain, stood by his conviction that the "slow return" of cruise is on the way in a message to agents yesterday (13 April).

In the video, Fain said his company is using the crisis to "adjust protocols to prepare for a public that is much more focussed on health and safety than ever before".

Royal is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take advantage of new knowledge and technology in cleaning procedures for the end of the pandemic. 

He urged everyone to be realistic before the eventual "positive outcome", even if the industry may be at the "tail end" of a recovery.

"Everyone you know is ready to get out of the house, but it may take a while longer before people are focussed on boarding a long flight, joining grounds at a theme park or taking a cruise, we know this," said Fain.

He insisted travel and tourism will continue to be a very important industry around the world in both economic and societal terms.

"The world needs to break down the barriers that isolate us, the world needs to understand each other and people need to share experiences," he explained.

Fain ended on a hopeful message about the future: "The cruise industry has only been shut for about a month, it may seem like forever, but it really has only been a month.

"The slow return will also seem like forever but it too is coming and when it does, we need to be prepared for it."