Why Shares of Carnival Are Falling Today

Shares of Carnival (NYSE: CCL) fell more than 4% on Thursday after one of its cruise ships was locked down due to fears a passenger onboard was infected with the coronavirus. Updated reports out of Italy appear to imply it could be a false alarm, but the incident, if nothing else, highlights the risk faced by Carnival and other cruise lines as the outbreak grows.

The Costa Smeralda, a ship operated by Carnival's Costa Crociere unit, was blocked from leaving the port of Civitavecchia on Thursday after a passenger from China showed potential symptoms of the coronavirus. The woman was placed in isolation aboard the ship, and the more than 6,000 passengers on board were ordered not to leave the ship while the situation was being assessed.

Image source: Carnival.

Source Fool.com