Don’t go on cruises, tourists are advised
Operators fear there is little chance of saving this year’s operations, says tourism consultant
The Foreign Office has advised Britons against all travel on cruise ships, as industry experts say they fear there is little chance of saving 2020 and liners might not sail again until next year. The FCO advice, part of a review of its ban on non-essential travel during the pandemic, means travellers cannot get insurance for such trips. The move is a blow to an industry which was an early focus of the coronavirus crisis, and which is trying to draw up plans to resume operations.
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been advised against all travel on cruise ships by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as fears grow that liners are unlikely to return to the seas before 2021.
The FCO updated its guidance on cruises as part of a review of its ban on non-essential travel during the pandemic, saying it advised against such holidays “at this time”. This prevents travellers getting insurance.
FCO sources said the decision was based on medical advice from Public Health England, but pledged to continue to work with the Department for Transport and the industry to resume cruises. The move is a blow to an industry which was an early focus of the crisis, with outbreaks on ships quarantined offshore and a major FCO operation to repatriate 19,000 Britons trapped on liners in more than 20 locations.
The FCO advised in March against passengers over 70 or those with underlying health conditions taking cruises, but it said this had been superseded by its blanket ban on all non-essential travel abroad during the pandemic. It said that the updated guidance confirmed this position. Paul Charles, chief executive of PC Consultancy, which advises the travel industry, including cruise operators, said the difficulty was how to minimise risks from transporting 3,000 people to holiday sites if there were Covid-19 cases on board, or in places they visited.
He admitted the industry feared there was little chance of resuming operations properly this year.
“The issues worrying governments are the movement of 3,000 people from a cruise ship into a small port or town. More work needs to be done on how to solve that. Many of the cruise lines feel 2021 is the year of their return, with little chance of saving 2020,” he said.
Two of the biggest operators, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have assembled a panel of experts to devise health protocols to allow sailing to resume with minimum risk of coronavirus spreading on board. The report is expected to next month.
It emerged yesterday that “winter sun” destinations such as the Maldives, Cape Verde and Cuba could be on the next batch of destinations where FCO travel restrictions are eased.
Meanwhile, the head of the world’s tourism and trade body says today that face masks should be mandatory for all forms of travel and in any indoor spaces from hotels and restaurants to cruise ships and bars.
Gloria Guevara, chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said the wearing of face masks should be the “new norm” on all forms of transport and “interior venues”.