"Untie the lines – we're setting sail." This command was uttered thousands of times by cruise ship captains in the years before Corona, on every cruise. It was the starting signal for an unforgettable maritime experience, including the popular shore excursions, for many regular and new cruise passengers. Until 2019, this sector of the tourism industry enjoyed unprecedentedly high demand. Many repeat cruisers and newcomers alike wanted to book voyages across the world's oceans on the large ships and save as much money as possible – many newcomers were captivated by the allure of the seas, shore excursions, and the cruise experience itself. The small and large ships – crammed full of passengers – delivered substantial profits to the cruise lines and a feeling of invincibility regarding their business model. Passengers were offered a cost-effective price-performance ratio – including the feeling of saving a considerable amount when booking.
And then something happened that nobody had foreseen. A small, inconspicuous virus brought the entire global economy and with it the cruise industry to a standstill. Ongoing and planned trips had to be cancelled at unusually short notice due to Corona. Cancellations poured in to the cruise lines – with catastrophic consequences also for those whose livelihoods depend on cruises: crew members, café owners, masseurs, port workers, tour guides, taxi drivers, farmers, brewers, agricultural workers, pilots, shipyard workers. Everyone was affected by each individual cancellation; everyone had to start saving rigorously from then on.
In 2019 – in the turbulent times before Corona – 546 ships docked and departed from the port of Venice. This alone brought the port authorities 35 million EUR in fees. In the virus year of 2020, there were only 6 ships and paltry fees of 150,000 EUR. Suddenly, Venice, whose 50,000 inhabitants depend 95% on tourism, had its money tap turned off by an unexpected pandemic and the subsequent wave of cancellations. In the Corona-free year of 2019, the MSC cruise line had 17 cruise ships in operation; with a fantastic occupancy rate of almost 100%. A comparison with the meager occupancy rates of rural hotels can be spared at this point. From April to August 2020, all MSC ships were tied up in port due to Corona. Occupancy fell from 100% to 0% overnight – with unimaginable maintenance costs for the parked giants. The industry had actually expected 32 million passengers to book their services in 2020.
The period of standstill was not only used for the development and deployment of an effective vaccine. It also fundamentally changed the cruise industry. For months, a solution was meticulously sought: How can as many people as possible be accommodated on the idle giants with as little personal contact as possible? How can these ships then be sent out with an attractive route and appealing highlights so that as many passengers as possible book without later cancellation and still have the feeling of saving a lot of money? How can it be ensured that none of the travel-hungry passengers unknowingly bring the virus on board and allow Corona to do what it does best: spread massively in the shortest possible time in the tightest possible space?
Driven by the threatening situation, cruise ship operators joined forces and feverishly developed a robust hygiene and safety concept that would allow the ships to set sail again. Where could they even go, where would they be allowed, where would shore leave be possible, what cancellation options could be offered to hesitant and uncertain customers to encourage them to book again? Where could costs be saved without compromising health and safety? There were more questions than answers. But solutions were found nonetheless. As early as October 2020, two MSC ships took on the challenge and cautiously set sail; TUI and AIDA also dared to do so. Occasional setbacks taught those responsible that it wouldn't be a walk in the park.
But how can cruises be handled safely and profitably during and after the Corona pandemic? A mix of measures was intended to ensure this and incidentally led to a fundamental change in the industry. The old ships, whose aging engines were fueled by heavy oil and which – even before Corona – had gained a reputation as dirty polluters, were scrapped. Instead of globetrotting destinations like the Dominican Republic or the Caribbean, the focus shifted to one's own country or nearby foreign countries such as the Baltic Sea or Denmark. Instead of shore excursions – which were risky from a virus perspective – excursions with speedboats and dinghies were organized around the coasts of the destinations, including seaworthy clothing. Instead of queues of people, embarkation took place in small groups – everyone had to submit a personal health questionnaire, as well as a PCR and antigen test, after booking the trip.
And when all these hurdles had been overcome and the crew welcomed the guests on board with relief and beaming faces, the safety and hygiene concept continued. Daily temperature checks, regular disinfection of all common areas after use, ensuring sufficient spatial distances among passengers seeking relaxation and normality, and Corona-compliant handling of shore excursions. While passenger capacities on the ships were only used up to a maximum of 60%, the number of crew members remained unchanged - precisely to ensure all these additional tasks could be carried out.
And if the undesirable happens: A passenger has COVID symptoms. The person is immediately and strictly isolated and taken to the infirmary for intensive virus testing. Unlike the usual self-tests or PCR tests, the swab can detect 22 different pathogens and immediately reveals to the infirmary staff what danger the affected passenger poses. Under no circumstances may this pathogen spread on the ship in such a case and jeopardize the precarious return of the cruise industry. Whether this will all succeed, we will find out in 2021 - in the restart year of the cruise industry.
In 2019 – in the turbulent times before Corona – 546 ships docked and departed from the port of Venice. This alone brought the port authorities 35 million EUR in fees. In the virus year of 2020, there were only 6 ships and paltry fees of 150,000 EUR. Suddenly, Venice, whose 50,000 inhabitants depend 95% on tourism, had its money tap turned off by an unexpected pandemic and the subsequent wave of cancellations. In the Corona-free year of 2019, the MSC cruise line had 17 cruise ships in operation; with a fantastic occupancy rate of almost 100%. A comparison with the meager occupancy rates of rural hotels can be spared at this point. From April to August 2020, all MSC ships were tied up in port due to Corona. Occupancy fell from 100% to 0% overnight – with unimaginable maintenance costs for the parked giants. The industry had actually expected 32 million passengers to book their services in 2020.
The period of standstill was not only used for the development and deployment of an effective vaccine. It also fundamentally changed the cruise industry. For months, a solution was meticulously sought: How can as many people as possible be accommodated on the idle giants with as little personal contact as possible? How can these ships then be sent out with an attractive route and appealing highlights so that as many passengers as possible book without later cancellation and still have the feeling of saving a lot of money? How can it be ensured that none of the travel-hungry passengers unknowingly bring the virus on board and allow Corona to do what it does best: spread massively in the shortest possible time in the tightest possible space?
Driven by the threatening situation, cruise ship operators joined forces and feverishly developed a robust hygiene and safety concept that would allow the ships to set sail again. Where could they even go, where would they be allowed, where would shore leave be possible, what cancellation options could be offered to hesitant and uncertain customers to encourage them to book again? Where could costs be saved without compromising health and safety? There were more questions than answers. But solutions were found nonetheless. As early as October 2020, two MSC ships took on the challenge and cautiously set sail; TUI and AIDA also dared to do so. Occasional setbacks taught those responsible that it wouldn't be a walk in the park.
But how can cruises be handled safely and profitably during and after the Corona pandemic? A mix of measures was intended to ensure this and incidentally led to a fundamental change in the industry. The old ships, whose aging engines were fueled by heavy oil and which – even before Corona – had gained a reputation as dirty polluters, were scrapped. Instead of globetrotting destinations like the Dominican Republic or the Caribbean, the focus shifted to one's own country or nearby foreign countries such as the Baltic Sea or Denmark. Instead of shore excursions – which were risky from a virus perspective – excursions with speedboats and dinghies were organized around the coasts of the destinations, including seaworthy clothing. Instead of queues of people, embarkation took place in small groups – everyone had to submit a personal health questionnaire, as well as a PCR and antigen test, after booking the trip.
And when all these hurdles had been overcome and the crew welcomed the guests on board with relief and beaming faces, the safety and hygiene concept continued. Daily temperature checks, regular disinfection of all common areas after use, ensuring sufficient spatial distances among passengers seeking relaxation and normality, and Corona-compliant handling of shore excursions. While passenger capacities on the ships were only used up to a maximum of 60%, the number of crew members remained unchanged - precisely to ensure all these additional tasks could be carried out.
And if the undesirable happens: A passenger has COVID symptoms. The person is immediately and strictly isolated and taken to the infirmary for intensive virus testing. Unlike the usual self-tests or PCR tests, the swab can detect 22 different pathogens and immediately reveals to the infirmary staff what danger the affected passenger poses. Under no circumstances may this pathogen spread on the ship in such a case and jeopardize the precarious return of the cruise industry. Whether this will all succeed, we will find out in 2021 - in the restart year of the cruise industry.
