NEW YORK — The year has barely begun, but it’s already a major disappointment for the cruise industry.
It was supposed to be the year that prices stabilized following widespread discounting after the recession. But just two weeks into the year, 32 people died when the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy. Then late last month, another Costa ship, the Allegra, caught fire and lost power, leaving passengers without toilets or running water for three days.
Costa’s parent company, Carnival Corp., said Friday those incidents led it to slash its 2012 earnings expectations by 82 percent. Still, it’s holding prices firm, warning that “consumers holding out for deeper than normal discounts may be disappointed.”
Carnival posted a loss of $139 million for the first quarter. A year ago, it earned $152 million.
