“Mr Becker,” the line reads, “due to the Coronavirus we have cancelled all of our Asia cruises on the Norwegian Spirit. This has caused a huge surge in demand for all of our other itineraries. I suggest we secure your reservation today to avoid you paying more tomorrow.” (News reports, meanwhile, suggest cruise lines are suffering from a spate of canceled trips rather than experiencing high demand. NCL’s stock price has tanked in recent days.)
Other lines simply reassure customers not to be afraid.
“The only thing you need to worry about for your cruise is do you have enough sunscreen?” one of the suggested talking points reads.
Yet some of the recommended responses are blatantly false. For instance, cruise bookers were instructed to tell potential customers that coronavirus is not a concern in warm Caribbean climates.
“The Coronavirus can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise,” one talking point reads.
“Scientists and medical professionals have confirmed that the warm weather of the spring will be the end of the Coronavirus,” a second says.
Another line instructs that “the Coronavirus cannot live in the amazingly warm and tropical temperatures that your cruise will be sailing to.”