Coronavirus Australia: This won’t sink us: cruise lines to adapt and thrive

The cruise industry has vowed to sail again but passengers are ­expected to face a comprehensive array of new health measures.

The Ruby Princess cruise ship sails form Auustralian waters after being linked to more than 20 coronavirus deaths and up to 600 infections across Australia. Picture: AAP Image/Supplied by NSW Police

The cruise industry has vowed to sail again but passengers are ­expected to face a comprehensive array of new health measures when they next embark.

Industry body Cruise Lines International Association is working with health authorities and medical experts around the world to develop new protocols to enhance passenger safety in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

CLIA Australasia managing director Joel Katz said measures were likely to include increased screening of passengers, social distancing measures, and more intense cleaning and sanitation provisions.

“There’s an expectation … that when the time is right for us to restart we’ve learned from everything that’s happened and put into place the appropriate policies and protocols that will allow us to operate in a COVID-19 world,” Mr Katz said.

Sture Myrmell, president of Carnival Australia, which encompasses the embattled Princess brand, along with Holland America Line, P&O, Cunard and Seabourn, said he was confident Carnival’s brands would survive.

“We believe that we can get through this,” Mr Myrmell said, while expressing his sympathies for cruise passengers who have been impacted by the pandemic.

However, hot tubs and “problematic” self-service buffets may need to be reassessed under the new world order, he said.

“There will be a range of features, services, activities that we participate in today that will be questioned whether they are appropriate going forward. Specifically what they are I can’t say right now,” he said.

Mr Myrmell stressed that a return to cruising would reflect a return to other leisure activities.

“There will be other types of social gatherings that we will need to address as a society — stadiums, theatres, concerts,” he said. “And if social gatherings are acceptable there then obviously that bodes well for cruising … It’s not just about cruising; it will be about society as a whole.”

The reputation of the cruise industry has taken a big hit, with the Ruby Princess under police investigation after about 700 infections and 21 deaths; Diamond Princess, which was quarantined in Japan, accounted for hundreds more cases and more than a dozen fatalities. Other cruise lines that had the virus on board include Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, Aurora Expeditions, Costa Cruises and Silversea, constituting about 30 of the 300 or so ships that circle the globe.

But cruise passengers are nothing if not loyal. Research by leading US-based website Cruise Critic suggested 75 per cent of cruisers intended to sail again at the same frequency, if not more often, after the pandemic.

The industry has seen exponential growth in Australia, with 1.35 million people setting sail in 2018, compared with just over 300,000 in 2008.

The federal government has suspended cruise operations in Australia until June 15. It remains to be seen if the next “wave season”, the October to April sales peak, will eventuate. Several cruise lines expressed an interest in resuming operations between Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean in Australia directed The Australian to a video about the company’s future direction by chairman and CEO Richard Fain that has been distributed to travel agents.

In it, Mr Fain said the cruise industry needed to accept the world had changed. “People are rightly concerned about health risks and we need to address that, aggressively.”

He stressed it was not a matter of communication and meeting minimum standards. “We need to change the way we operate in a fundamental way. What was reasonable a month ago is no longer adequate.”

He said Royal Caribbean was using the hiatus to learn more about COVID-19 and develop new protocols.

The cruise industry generates more than $US150 billion ($236bn) a year in global economic activity and supports more than 1.17 million jobs worldwide. More than 120 new-build ships, costing more than $US64 billion, are set for delivery by 2027. In Australia, cruising contributes 18,000 jobs and $5.2 billion (SUBS AUD) annually to the national economy. A new port facility was set to open in Brisbane in October.

Brett Dudley, founder of Ecruising and Latitude 33 Travel, said he was disappointed industry leaders had not been more vocal in their defence of the industry during the pandemic.

“We really need someone to stand up and remind the Australian government and public how much the cruise industry contributes to the economy each year,” he said.

Mr Dudley said bookings had “fallen off a cliff” in recent weeks but reservations for 2021 and beyond were holding strong, with next year’s up more than 30 per cent on 2020. He was confident more flexible terms and conditions offered by cruise lines, combined with “fantastic” deals, would lure passengers back to sea.

Ian Menzies, managing director of small-ship agency Ultimate Cruising, said he would be “amazed” if international cruise lines returned to Australian waters this year.

“We’ve taken a position that the remainder of this year will be written off, that we won’t see coastal Australian services operating before the end of the year and if it gets better than that it’s a bonus,” he said.

He felt the Diamond and Ruby Princess sagas had done “immeasurable damage” to the industry. “For some people, they’ll never travel on cruise ships again,” he said.

However, he was optimistic the industry would bounce back, particularly the younger market, which would be drawn to tempting deals offered on larger ships.

Cairns-based Coral Expeditions is the only cruise company with ships based in Australia, putting it in an enviable position when local restrictions are lifted.

Commercial director Jeff Gillies said it would be ready to deploy in local waters and anticipated “good pick-up”. He believed the more tenuous global situation would present an opportunity for greater exploration of the domestic coastline; the Kimberley, Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, Cape York and Arnhem Land would be in strong demand.

“There’s a lot of loyalty to the cruise environment and to particular brands within that,” he said.

Asked if the cruise industry ever be the same again, Mr Menzies said: “Absolutely. Like everything, we get over it. Our economies will come good and a new generation of cruisers will emerge.”