The outbreak of the coronavirus, the source of many fatalities across the world, is heavily impacting the tourism/travel industry. For many people, the idea of taking a cruise is a dream come true, from seeing different countries, meeting new people, to the incredible food. The unprecedented, rapid spread of COVID-19 has stopped many people in their tracks who were previously considering taking a trip this spring or summer. 

As someone who has taken cruise vacations in the past, I know I for one am not taking a cruise this upcoming summer. While that might be an extreme reaction to some people, I think many people agree with this. A healthy amount of fear is necessary, of course, but it is never a good idea to let the fear take over your life. With that being said, we will still go over the effect that the virus has and will have on the tourism/travel industry. 

Passengers and crew members tested positive for coronavirus:

• Diamond Princess cruise ship

A passenger was tested positive 6 days after leaving:

• Holland America’s Westerdam cruise ship

Passengers and crew members tested negative for coronavirus:

• Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas cruise ship
• Carnival’s Costa Smeralda cruise ship

The Effect on the Cruise Industry

Many people are thinking twice about booking a cruise this year, leaving the cruise industry in peril. The major cruise lines such as Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival have been doing really well in recent years. Some of the cruise lines like Norwegian, even have their own private islands, just for cruise guests. 

The ongoing coronavirus is concerning people about the idea of traveling in general as there are cases appearing in many countries across the world. This is leading companies to cancel future cruises and in some cases delay them. In the case of the Diamond Princess ship, where the virus blew up in early February, the cruise line is providing refunds to customers and future cruise credits.

The Impact on Tourism

Because certain cruise ships were unable to stop at previously designated ports, the people and businesses there are suffering. Tourism is the livelihood of many countries that exist at the ports of major cruise lines. The coronavirus, which has spread across the world, will surely affect their economy, as cruise ships will not be docking at their ports for the foreseeable future.

The Diamond Princess ship was infamously stuck at sea for days on end. Being turned away from every port and place imaginable. Earlier in February, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas had to delay their departure for certain passengers to be tested. As there was no sign illness on the ship, the passengers were able to board the ship and it continued on its route. 

Global Cruising

Even though Asia is said to only make up a fraction of the global cruise industry, it still makes a large impact on how people view cruising in general. The majority of cruise revenue is said to come from the Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises. With all the incoming cancellations of future cruises for the months of March, April, May, etc., the cruise industry is expecting a big hit. 

Royal Caribbean Cruises has recently announced that it canceled 18 cruises out of Southeast Asia. The estimated costs of canceling these cruise trips are roughly $136 million. Additionally, if Royal Caribbean Cruises decides to cancel other cruise trips leading up to April, this will cost them $115 million. 

The Future

The main focus when dealing with a virus as unpredictable as COVID-19 is, of course, the health of the people across the globe. Although I still find it both interesting and nerve-wracking to see how the virus impacts cities, states, countries, the economy, travel, etc. I also encourage others to learn more about it, but not to the extent that it paralyzes you with fear. 

Resources:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/coronavirus-docked-quarantined-cruise-ships

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/02/17/cruise-industry-needs-newcomers-grow-coronavirus-outbreak-will-make-that-difficult/