Skip to content
Subscriber Only
Business
Pursuits

The Refugee Crisis in Europe Is Hurting Cruise-Ship Travel

  • Carnival CEO says images of bodies have psychological impact
  • World's largest cruise line has twice stopped for refugees
A group of Syrian migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek island of Lesbos on Sept. 11.

A group of Syrian migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek island of Lesbos on Sept. 11.

Photographer: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Updated on

The refugee crisis in Europe is having an impact on cruise-ship travel in the region, according to Arnold Donald, chief executive officer of Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise-line operator.

Images of bodies washing ashore and refugees packed in rafts are having a psychological impact on customer behavior, Donald said in an interview Tuesday. Would-be guests are sharing their concerns in Carnival’s customer research and in questions posed to its call-center operators.