Almost 70,000 new coronavirus cases were reported on Wednesday (22 July) as America creeps closure to recording four million cases.

In his latest video update to trade partners, Fain, chair and chief executive of the cruise giant, said there was “simply no excuse” for the US “to do worse than almost all the developed countries in the world” when it came to getting Covid-19 under control.

“And yet chart after chart that’s what is happening,” he lamented.

“One could understand the early confusion in February and March but today that excuse doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.”

He also spoke of his frustrations at those who refused to wear masks in public.

Meanwhile, Fain offered an update on the work of the line’s Healthy Sail Panel, formed in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and tasked with creating new health and hygiene policies to enable the cruise industry’s safe return to operations.

“They’re really going into depth on every topic – whether that’s the air conditioning system, or the practicalities of social distancing, or even the utensils used in a buffet setting.

“Our objective is not only to meet the minimum safety requirements but to actually make the ship safer than the communities where our guests come from,” said Fain.

Ahead of Tui Cruises restarting sailings in Germany later this week, Fain described the milestone as “a small start, but an important one” and encouraged viewers that despite the challenging trading environment, things would improve. 

“These four months have been the longest any of us can remember – when you’re in the middle of a terrible time it can feel like the troubles never end, but they do. Like the Great Depression did and World Wars and the anxiety after 9/11 - all of these things ended.

“That may not be much comfort when all of our businesses have suffered so badly but this too shall pass and when it does – we shall be prepared,” he said.