Cast ADRIFT
How coronavirus crippled the CRUISE INDUSTRY
Billion Pound Cruises: All at Sea
Thursday, ITV HD, 9pm
WITH PASSENGER NUMBERS doubling in the past decade, at the start of 2020 the £120 billion cruise industry was looking forward to another bumper year.
However, as coronavirus spread around the world early this year, many passengers found themselves stranded. ITV’S Billion
Pound Cruises: All at Sea hears from British holidaymakers who were on cruises at the time and examines the affect the pandemic had on the industry.
With passengers mingling in a confined space and disembarking at multiple ports, cruise ships are a perfect breeding ground for viruses.
‘This constant interchange of people and densely packed environment really creates a perfect storm,’ explains Miami Herald reporter Taylor Dolven, who has investigated the involvement of cruise ships in the pandemic.
One of the ships seen on the news was the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined at Yokohama in Japan. ‘On the Diamond Princess, what we saw was an incredible number of infections – more than
700 – and at least eight deaths,’ reveals Dolven.
As infection rates rose, cruise liners continued to sail but, one by one, were refused entry to ports.
‘It’s the worst possible nightmare for the industry,’ says The Sunday
Times writer Sue Bryant. ‘Your ship is trapped in a port, with people on it who are getting sick.’
DISASTROUS
Companies suspended new sailings, and the industry went into free fall, with share prices dropping by around 80%, while an investigation reported one-fifth of all global cruise ships were infected with the virus.
Surprisingly, however, a survey has revealed many customers have not been deterred by the pandemic.
‘If you’ve had the experience of enjoying cruises, it’s in your blood,’ says David Abel, who contracted coronavirus aboard the Diamond
Princess. ‘I firmly believe that every cruise line is going to learn from this. It will not be allowed to repeat itself.’