Posted on 08/28/2020 2:13:48 PM PDT by Capt. Tom
The cruise industry was among the industries rocked hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many fearing the virus could leave a permanent bruise on a sector with a history of onboard illness outbreaks. But it’s exactly that history that suggests this time won’t be different, and cruising will eventually flourish again.
This difficulty in running the business can be viewed as a positive, because it raises the barriers to entry. But more important, like the hotel industry, cruising satisfies a couple of basic human wants, to be social and to get away, and it does both at the same time. This not only encourages customers to forget outbreaks, it also makes them very loyal.
Although an element of fear will likely drive down bookings for future cruises in the near term, given uncertainties over the duration of long-term effects of the COVID-19 virus, “that will pass,” Lang said. “People will tend to forget about it. It’s a time-limited phenomenon on cruises.”
What makes the cruise industry different that others in the travel business, is that the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has direct control over when ships can set sail.
Last month, the CDC announced the extension of its “No Sail Order” through Sept. 30. But that doesn’t mean cruises will depart the day after.
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(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
A long article, but I feel the recovery will take years.
What do you think? -Tom
Frankly, I don’t see cruise ships being an issue; there’s no particular reason they have to be more risky, and they probably were NOT more risky, you just need to take precautions.
And if a cruise line goes bankrupt, someone will buy it out, a bunch of investors will lose money, but the cruise ships will be back out sailing.
Until COVID-19 mitigation efforts through a really effective vaccine become widely available, expect many cruise lines to put their ships into mothballs for years to come. I wouldn’t be surprised that the likes of Royal Caribbean and Carnival start scrapping a lot of older ships over the next three years.
Carnival already scrapped 13 ships
I dunno. The cruise industry was having lots of problems with ships coming into port with lots of sick passengers WELL BEFORE Covid-19. These floating super-hotels appear to have massive sanitation problems — particularly in food services.
Probably so, but I hang my hopes on effective therapeutic treatments before vaccines.
Some of the potential buyers and loaners might get cold feet and remember the old adage : "If you want to make a small fortune in certain businesses, like Cruising, start off with a large fortune."
Time will tell. - Tom
Wish I knew when we can cruise again. I think this extending the ban by a month or two every month or two can go on for years.
I’m certainly grateful for the dozen or so past cruises and hope for a few more.
Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Richard Fain feels your pain
"Now, since the crisis began, we extended our suspension of operations seven times, now through Oct. 31 for most voyages,” said Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Richard Fain in a call with analysts on Aug. 10. “But it’s fair to say there is still a lot of uncertainty.”
Its not Sept...its till the end of Oct ...
The CDC has allowed late comments to come in, and by the time the CCDC assesses them the shutdown will be beyond Sept. 30th. -Tom
The Centers for Disease Control has extended its No Sail Order for cruise ships once again. The order now prevents ships from sailing through September 30, 2020.
I’ve known numerous folks who have gone for cruises and have said they enjoyed them. I’m not motivated on going on one, as I can stay at home and read a book and raid my fridge without it costing me the price of a cruise. I like history and might consider a cruise in the Med visiting historic ports, but no in the Caribbean. And I don’t want to take a chance of the ship I’m on disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle.
Simple solution to the pandemic,,,,Make HCQ and Azithromycin OTC drugs so anyone who develops a cough and/or fever can go the nearest drug store and self medicate with the drugs along with Zinc Sulfate with correct dosage within 48 hours of symptoms and pandemic over.,,,,,instead of waiting a few days to get tested and 5 days for the results,,,,if over 60 years of age,,,,you’re dead.
We are still GO for the Trump 2020 Victory Cruise embarking from Port Everglades on December 6.
Why can’t they just test passengers and crew before they board?
I have known a whole lot of people who recovered from the many bumps in life’s road . . . until they didn’t.
I’m really bad at predicting the future, but it’s possible that this most recent bump will be too big for the cruise industry. It’s also possible that the public has the attention span of a gnat and will happily go back to cruising with Norovirus as soon as Corona goes back to just being a cheap beer.
I think Dr. Lang would agree with you. -Tom
Dr. William Lang, chief medical officer of WorldClinic and former director of the White House Medical Unit said it’s important to separate the cruise industry from the rest of the travel industry during the current COVID crisis. A cruise ship is “substantially different” than a dry land environment, he said.
Add to that the possibility of being trapped at sea, if another onboard outbreak occurs. But that hasn’t stopped people from taking cruises after disease outbreaks in the past.
“What has been demonstrated time and time again, from various outbreaks and epidemics, is that people have a short memory,” Lang told MarketWatch.
At least the months of October and November are between the present CDC cruise shutdown the end of September and the Trump Victory Cruise trip in early December.
Things will change one way or the other after the election, and I hope it won't impact the Trump Victory Cruise. - Tom
My motto for the cruise will be "NOT a Sober Moment!!!"
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