This Is a Daily Compilation of Media Articles Concerning the Covid-19 Impact on the Global Cruise Industry
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1 THIS IS A DAILY COMPILATION OF MEDIA ARTICLES CONCERNING THE COVID-19 IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL CRUISE INDUSTRY. Please note this isn’t a complete listing of media articles but a snapshot only. 24 March, 2020: THE ENTIRE CRUISE INDUSTRY IS SCRAMBLING More than a week after it announced it would suspend operations, members of the Cruise Lines International Association are still scrambling to get passengers off ships – often in the nearest port that will allow them to do so – and send them home to wait out the virus. As of Tuesday morning, approximately 7.1%, or about 20 of CLIA's 277 member ships were still at sea and in the process of wrapping up voyages. The percentage of ships still in transit is down from 14% (or around 39 ships) Thursday. "This is a highly fluid situation, with numbers changing by the hour as cruise ships around the world are completing their voyages," Bari Golin-Blaugrund, CLIA's senior director of strategic communications, told USA TODAY. "The vast majority of the rest are either at port, anchored or repositioning," Golin-Blaugrund said. "CLIA members are focused on the safe and smooth return home of those onboard cruise ships that are currently at sea." Read more…. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/03/24/coronavirus-cruise-ship-disembarkation- chaotic-confusing-amid-pandemic/2883230001/ 24 March, 2020: ROYAL CARIBBEAN SUSPENDS CRUISES UNTIL AT LEAST MAY 12 Royal Caribbean Cruises became the first line to announce that they would be extending the already-in- place suspension of cruises. According to an announcement made Tuesday, the earliest their ships will welcome back guests is now May 12. Will Other Cruise Lines Follow Royal’s Lead? Read more… https://cruiseradio.net/royal-caribbean-suspends-cruises-until-at-least-may-12/ 24 March, 2020: HOLLAND AMERICA TO DEPLOY ROTTERDAM TO RENDEZVOUS WITH ZAANDAM Holland America Line said it is deploying the Rotterdam to rendezvous with the Zaandam and provide extra supplies, staff, COVID-19 test kits and other support as needed. All ports along the Zaandam’s route back to Florida are currently closed to cruise ships. Carrying 611 crew and no guests, the Rotterdam departed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at 3 p.m. local time on March 22 and the current schedule is for the two ships to meet by the evening of March 26 off the coast of Panama. "Our intention is to proceed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for arrival on March 30, however plans are still being finalized. Alternative options also are being developed. No one has been off the ship since March 14 in Punta Arenas, Chile," the company said. Read more… https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22665-holland-america-to-deploy-rotterdam-to- rendezvous-with-zaandam.html 24 March, 2020: COVID-19 CHAOS: MSC FANTASIA PASSENGERS 'KEPT IN THE DARK' UNTIL DAY OF DISEMBARKATION At 2 a.m. on Tuesday, MSC Fantasia passenger Julie Cruickshanks, 63, received a letter. It was pushed under the door in her stateroom on the Panamanian-flagged cruise ship, which was resting in port in Document prepared by A.L. Skinner Consulting Inc https://gusskinnerconsulting.com subject to changes / amendments pg. 1 2 Lisbon, Portugal. After more than a week of confusion on board about itinerary changes, disembarkation processes, emails and announcements, Cruickshanks learned in the early hours of the morning she would be going home to Liverpool, England, that day – earlier than expected. On Sunday, MSC Fantasia disembarked its first group of passengers (all Portuguese nationals and residents) in Lisbon, the cruise line said in a statement provided by spokesperson Alyssa Goldfarb on Tuesday. After leaving the ship, two of those guests tested positive for coronavirus, the disease that has infected more than 417,000 people and killed more than 18,600 around the world, according to Johns Hopkins data. "So far, British, Brazilian and German nationals/residents have disembarked, transferring from the ship to Lisbon Airport for their onward travel on MSC Cruises-provided charter flights," Goldfarb said Tuesday, the same day Cruickshanks and the other remaining passengers began disembarking. Read more…. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/03/24/coronavirus-cruise-ship-disembarkation- chaotic-confusing-amid-pandemic/2883230001/ 24 March, 2020: CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ORDERED INFRARED CAMERAS TO TEST PASSENGERS BOARDING CRUISE SHIPS Carnival Cruise Line ordered infrared cameras from Texas company Infrared Cameras Inc. (ICI) to test passengers and crew members for illness when boarding cruise ships. Infrared Cameras Inc (ICI) CEO Gary Strahan has been working around the clock since January, manufacturing and preparing thousands of infrared devices to be sent around the globe to help detect and decrease the spread of the COVID-19 illness. These devices are already being used in airports around the world, including in China and Mexico. Recently, Carnival Cruise Line ordered the cameras to test passengers and crew boarding its ships. Read more… https://cruisefever.net/carnival-cruise-line-ordered-infrared-cameras-to-test-passengers-boarding- cruise-ships/ 24 March, 2020: ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S FOUR CRUISE LINES CANCEL ANOTHER 30 DAYS OF CRUISES Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has announced they are extending their shutdown on cruises on their four cruise lines for another 30 days and cruises to Alaska and Canada will not begin until July 1, 2020. Royal Caribbean now expects their global fleet to return to service on May 12, 2020. The cruise line posted the following statement about the extended shutdown: “Given global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to extend the suspension of sailings of our global fleet. We are working with our guests to address this disruption to their vacations, and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience. We are also working with our crew to sort out the issues this decision presents for them. We expect to return to service on May 12, 2020. Because of announced port closures, we expect to return to service for Alaska, Canada and New England sailings July 1, 2020.” Read more…. https://cruisefever.net/royal-caribbean-and-celebrity-cruises-cancel-another-30-days-of- cruises/?utm_source=aimtell&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=campaign-910339 24 March, 2020: CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE EXTENDS PAY FOR DISPLACED CREW MEMBERS Some Carnival Cruise Line crew and staff members received a bit of good news this week as the company extended the pay of those going home early. The crew members in question are serving aboard the Carnival Victory, which is currently in Cadiz, Spain. Originally, the ship was to spend this time Document prepared by A.L. Skinner Consulting Inc https://gusskinnerconsulting.com subject to changes / amendments pg. 2 3 undergoing a 38-day massive renovation which would see it emerge as the Carnival Radiance. Those plans have been changed by the situation unfolding around the world. In a letter to the crew members, Carnival president Christine Duffy acknowledged that “your time on Carnival Victory has not been easy and certainly nothing like what we all expected.” Although it was originally expected that crew members would remain on board during the renovation, that plan has been changed. As Duffy explained, “We have no choice but to postpone our planned work on Carnival Victory‘s refurbishment. I know you are disappointed, as are we.” Read more… https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-line-extends-pay-for-displaced-crew-members/ 24 March, 2020: ‘I DON’T FEEL SAFE AT ALL.’ AS CRUISE SHIPS SAIL ON, CREW FEAR COVID-19 INFECTION A crew member on the Costa Luminosa knew something was wrong when an ambulance arrived on the pier in Puerto Rico March 8 and left with two passengers. Elderly passengers are routinely evacuated at port stops when they become ill. But in the middle of a global pandemic, this incident felt different. That same day, the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned all Americans against cruising, citing the increased risk of COVID-19 infection on cruise ships. Over the following 11 days, the situation on board worsened. Three sick passengers were offloaded in the Canaries; dozens were reported sick when the ship docked in Marseilles, France, on March 18. Read more…. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism- cruises/article241429096.html?utm_source=pushly&intcid=pushly_499008 24 March, 2020: UPDATE: HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE SAILING FOR FLORIDA HAS 87 FLU-LIKE CASES Carnival Corp.’s Holland America Line said its Zaandam cruise ship has 40 guests and 47 crew with flu-like symptoms. The company said Tuesday in an email that it deployed another ship carrying Covid-19 tests and other supplies to rendezvous with the vessel. The two ships are set to meet off the coast of Panama on Thursday. Holland America plans to sail the Zaandam to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, arriving March 30. “However, plans are still being finalized,” the cruise line said. The company has told all 1,243 guests to stay in their staterooms. The ship has a crew of 586. Read more…. https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-03-24/holland-america-cruise-sailing-for-florida- has-87-flu-like-cases 24 March, 2020: A CRUISE SHIP WITH 42 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS IS HEADED TO PORT EVERGLADES A cruise ship with 42 sick people aboard is heading to Port Everglades and is expected to dock next week. The people –13 guests and 29 crew members — aboard Holland America’s Zaandam are experiencing flu- like symptoms, a statement from the cruise line said. Initially, the ship was granted permission to disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, but it was later rescinded. No testing for coronavirus is available on the ship, according to the statement.