Royal Caribbean warns coronavirus could hit 2020 profits

RCCL has, to date, been forced to cancel 18 itineraries in south-east Asia and amend several others owing to new travel restrictions in the region.

The line said it was in regular context with various health authorities, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to inform its decisions and best protect its guests and crew.

However, RCCL warned on Thursday (13 February) the impact was spreading beyond Asia: “Recent bookings for our broader business have also been softer,” said RCCL in a trading update.

Its mandatory and precautionary measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus, to date, are estimated to impact on its 2020 financial performance by approximately $0.65 per share.

RCCL said if this extended to the entirely of its Asia programme through to the end of April, there would be an initial impact of $0.55 per share.

“There are still too many variables and uncertainties to make a reasonable forecast for 2020,” said Royal. “While the early impact, due to concerns about the coronavirus, is mainly related to Asia, recent bookings for our broader business have also been softer.”

RCCL added: “If the travel restrictions and concerns over the outbreak continue for an extended period, they could materially impact the company’s overall financial performance.”