(Reuters)

Royal Caribbean Group said on Wednesday (August 4) that overall bookings rose and the near-term cruise demand was seeing a modest dent from the Delta variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) amid a broader recovery in the tourism industry.

Cruise operators began sailing from US ports again in June with mostly vaccinated passengers and crew on limited capacity following lengthy talks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about health and safety protocols.

The resumption in sailing came more than a year after operations were suspended, but a few on-board cases in recent weeks and rising Delta variant infections in US states have raised worries that a rebound for the cruise industry could be delayed.

Royal Caribbean said weekly bookings in June jumped about 90 per cent compared to the previous quarter as the travel and tourism industry claws back from the impact of the pandemic.

The company reported an adjusted net loss of $1.3 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, about the same as a year ago.

Its shares were down two per cent in premarket trading.