Cruise lines have been experiencing some fairly nauseous press lately with outbreaks of a gastrointestinal flu plaguing passengers on cruise lines like Disney and Carnival. But
the cruise lines are managing the crisis by the books, with Carnival, for example, making extensive use of company President Bob Dickinson as spokesperson. Getting the executives
in front of the media and sharing news about the outbreaks frankly and quickly has evidently helped to mitigate any damage that might have resulted from customers' bouts of sea
sickness, with cruise cancellations only slightly impacted. It also helps that Dickinson's assertions that the virus responsible was likely brought on board by a passenger - and
not caused by any lapses in the line's procedures - are being backed by Florida state health officials. Crisis lesson: Share what you know (and what can be verified by third party
sources) quickly and openly with all stakeholders.
Executive Exposure Helps Quell Sea Sickness
