Cruising to an unknown destination
Cruising the seven seas has never been a thing for me personally, but plenty of people do it.
As a journalist, I’ve been to the unveiling of several mega-ships, including the Queen Elizabeth II, while safely docked in Southampton.
What impressed me most was the scale model of the ship in the captain’s quarters and the monogrammed crockery and cutlery laid out in the fine dining hall.
Otherwise, it was much like any other big cruising ship: a giant, somewhat gaudy, floating shopping centre.
Each to their own, but you can now book a hotel room at Chadstone and save on the airfares.
Cruising is an interesting proposition, though, particularly given the experience of the Ruby Princess in fuelling the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
The Ruby Princess docked in Sydney with dozens of undiagnosed coronavirus cases onboard.
Almost 2700 passengers — some suffering symptoms — were allowed to leave the ship at Sydney Harbour and then disperse, catching trains, buses and connecting flights to get home. Twenty-eight deaths and more than 650 COVID19 cases followed.
While an urgent inquiry found serious failings, particularly by health authorities, it was early in the pandemic. We have become much better as a nation at dealing with outbreaks and taking precautions to prevent them.
As we push toward single and double vaccination targets, there is a promise of greater freedoms, including travel.
I’m not yet convinced people will be rushing to head overseas in anywhere near the volumes they did pre-pandemic. Two years of lockdown, staying home and staying safe does make you risk-averse.
Cruising is a little different.
Short cruises crewed and populated by the double vaccinated makes sense as a way to travel safely.
The cruise industry called for urgent talks when the Morrison Government extended the cruising suspension earlier this month.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) wants to break a ‘‘cycle of inaction over the industry’s future’’.
“Other countries have not only created detailed plans to uphold safety on cruise ships in response to the pandemic, but have already resumed cruising in a responsible way,” CLIA managing director Australasia Joel Katz said.
Just like everything else, cruising needs a road map.
Road maps have been drawn up and torn up during this pandemic as governments, both federal and state, have changed the destinations.
Given my prejudice, I probably still won’t go on a cruise, but it would be nice to have something to weigh up and consider.
One of the losses from the pandemic has been choice, including doing something where you deem the risk is acceptable.
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