Shares of cruise operators took a dive into negative territory in midday trading Thursday, erasing earlier gains, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it now recommends avoiding cruise travel,"regardless of vaccination status," but stopped short of requiring a pause in sailings.
shed 2.0%, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.15% gained 0.2% toward a record. Prior to the CDC's recommendation, shares of Carnival were up 3.5%, Royal Caribbean were up 2.2% and Norwegian were up 3.8% at their intraday highs. The CDC said those who still decide to travel on a cruise ship should be fully vaccinated before travel, and should get a vaccine booster if they are eligible.