Cruise line bosses have turned to social media to send out messages of reassurance during the current coronavirus outbreak.
In an open letter published on his Twitter feed, Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises, thanked customers for their support during difficult times.
“I want to assure you of one thing, though,” said Ludlow.
“P&O Cruises will look after you, our guests. These are not just empty words. A travel company is nothing without the loyalty of its customers, and P&O Cruises is nothing without the loyalty of its guests, both guests who have been cruising with us for many years and guests who have yet to set sail with us but have made the decision to book a holiday with us in the future.”
He asked for the public to show some “forbearance and patience” during the crisis.
Meanwhile, Micky Arison, Chairman of the Board at Carnival Corporation, was interviewed in a video on the Facebook page of Adolfo Perez, Senior Vice-President of Global Sales at the Carnival Cruise Line.
Arison said he knows how difficult a travel agent’s job is. “We refer to travel agents as our partners, and this is a time where we really have to be partners.”
“It is a difficult time. It is a difficult time for us and it is a difficult time for them. Hopefully, we will all get through it and, at the other end, this will pass, and we can start to rebuild the business they way it was before.”
P&O Cruises has suspended operations until 11 April.
