While cruise lines are working on their comeback, some destinations say not so fast!, says an article published in The Washington Post.
Stay away for a while
As cruise lines tentatively plan their return to the seas, some destinations want ships to stay away for some more time.
Cruise ship bans
According to local media:
- Canada and Australia both recently extended their cruise ship bans to later this year.
- The Cayman Islands also followed Canada and Australia.
- The Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago, doesn’t want to see ships until 2022.
Reason for cruise ship bans
The bans reflect the countries’ concerns about how the introduction of visitors could interfere with efforts to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Risk of bringing tourists
Rob Kwortnik, an associate professor at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration who teaches about the cruise industry asks if it is worth the risk of bringing in tourists.
Cruise ship bans announced
Canada
Marc Garneau, Canada’s minister of transport, said in a statement that the government is committed to protecting Canadians. For that reason the government has announced updated measures for cruise ships and other passenger vessels in Canada.
This includes prohibiting larger cruise ships from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020. The order applies to cruise ships that are allowed to carry more than 100 people.
Australia
The Australian Border Force said in late May that its restriction on cruise ships capable of carrying more than 100 passengers would be extended until Sept. 17.
The decision reflects the government’s “overwhelming priority to ensure the health and safety of the broader Australian community,” according to a statement.
The Cayman Islands
Officials in the Cayman Islands have said cruise ships will not be allowed back until at least Sept. 1, though they offered no guarantee about that date.
The first person to have a confirmed case of covid-19 in the Cayman Islands was a cruise ship passenger who was taken to a local hospital during a March sailing and died.
Seychelles
In the Seychelles, which welcomed 39 ship visits carrying nearly 67,000 people last year, authorities said ships would be banned until the end of 2021.
Complications in the return of cruise industry
These decisions reveal how complicated it is for the cruise industry to return to normalcy as they rely on various health agencies and government approvals to resume.
Some have said when they hope to start sailing again, but with huge caveats that their plans are subject to change.
Unfamiliar position
Most itinerary planning happens years in advance, so cruise lines find themselves in an unfamiliar position of not knowing where they’ll be allowed to sail in the coming months.
Tough time for cruise industry
Cruise lines do run the risk of upsetting customers if they sell cruises and then have to make too many changes, Kwortnik said.
“I know that a missed destination on an itinerary, a ship that has to skip a port because of weather or something like that, people are furious. It’s super risky to promote destinations and then say well, we’re going to have to start pulling things.”
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Source: The Washington Post
