Is the Worst Over for Carnival?

In theory this should be a smart time to buy into the world's largest cruise line operator. It's a fair bet that Carnival (NYSE: CCL)(NYSE: CUK) and its smaller peers will begin sailing again at some point this year. We're in the early stages of the vaccination process that should ideally put an end to the pandemic that has essentially shut down the cruise line industry.

Prioritizing senior citizens for access to the COVID-19 vaccines makes this big news for an industry where retirees are a lucrative target audience during non-peak chunks of the cruising season. Last week Carnival, Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE: NCLH) all pushed out their return to sailing from April to May. We may finally be getting to the point where goalposts are planted in cement. Is the worst over for Carnival? The stock is trading 72% below its all-time high set three years ago, but there's more to this story than meets the eye.

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Source Fool.com