How can cruise lines get their reputations back?
Over three decades ago, after being found innocent of fraud charges, former Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan famously asked: “Which office do I go to get my reputation back?”
In a number of ways, Princess Cruises can and should ask that very same question.
In early April, the government in Australia launched a criminal investigation to determine why the 2,700 passengers, hundreds of them potentially infected with COVID-19, were allowed to disembark from the Ruby Princess in Sydney on March 19 before test results were known.
Because of that investigation and because of past media exaggerations or outright falsehoods regarding Norwalk virus cases — a virus which dramatically and often exponentially hits more hotels and convention sites than cruise ships — many in the media and the local government in Australia immediately assumed the Captain and staff of the Ruby Princess were to blame.
Some in the media then went so far as to label the Ruby Princess a “plague ship.”
Soon, there were literally banner headlines splashed across the globe, like this one from NPR, breathlessly declaring: “Australians launch criminal investigation into Ruby Princess cruise ship.” A “criminal” investigation.
With that damage already done and the good reputation of the captain, his staff, and Princess Cruises unfairly tarnished, the government of New South Wales decided to launch its own inquiry as to what happened.
Surprise. At least for some of the critics of Princess and the Ruby Princess.
The inquiry exonerated the cruise line and the captain and staff of the Ruby Princess. More than that, the Australian inquiry found that its own local health officials made “inexcusable,” “inexplicable,” and “serious mistakes.”
Overall, the inquiry by Australian officials found that the incident was: “A serious failure by New South Wales Health.”
Princess Cruises’ response, in part: “This finding is of great importance to us because it goes to the integrity of our people.”
That report exonerating Princess also underscores that those working in the public health oversight world — be they in
New South Wales, or the CDC here in our nation — are human and therefore, fallible at times.
With the pandemic, it is clear that the CDC is trying to make the best decisions possible for the safety and well-being of all Americans. That said, many in the cruise business worry that the CDC is being overly cautious when it comes to an industry in which a number of cruise lines are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
In many ways, the CDC does have a thankless and often, a literally dirty job to do. But again, even they can be fallible or needlessly picky.
For example, in April of 2013 the CDC gave the Carnival Fascination a “failing” grade during a health inspection of the ship. An inspection, mind you, that Carnival does voluntarily.
A passing grade was 85 or above on a scale to 100. The CDC gave the ship an 84. They did so allegedly because there was “not enough chlorine in one pool,” “a roach nymph” in a juice dispenser, and a food line with some missing sneeze guards.
As it turned out, I was on the same Carnival Fascination cruise and to my eye, the ship was impeccable. Spotless. Maybe the CDC inspector got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning or was determined to find violations.
Anyone who cruises regularly knows these ships are cleaned 24⁄7, 365 days a year. Post-pandemic, the cruise industry states it is going to set health and cleanliness standards.
But is that all too late?
This is not a political or partisan issue. It is one of fairness, job security, and the economic well-being and survival of every cruise line, hundreds of companies which support them, and millions of jobs.
It is high time for the cruise industry to unite to fight for its very survival. Collectively, they can enlist the governors and congressional delegations from the states of Florida, Texas, New York, California, and Alaska — to name but a few — to speak out in defense of them, their employees, and the tens of millions of passengers they serve.