Outbreaks, port refusals, travelers stuck onboard.
Cruise ships dominated the news in early 2020 for all the wrong reasons. Some people predicted the industry would never recover.
But cruising fans say: That’s ancient history.
“Given a choice, we would be living on the cruise ship for the remainder of our lives,” said Singaporean Peter Lim.
Those troubles from 2020 are “not of any concern,” he said. “We are all vaccinated [and] take and observe personal health protocols.”
Lim said he’s “lost count” of how many cruises he and wife have been on and has already planned three cruises through 2023.
He’s likes “waking up in a different country the next day,” plus the great customer service and loyalty benefits cruises provide.
Lim said he wasn’t swayed by reports last week of a Covid-19 outbreak onboard the Coral Princess, a cruise ship that is circumnavigating Australia.
Last week, four out of 12 cruise ships monitored by New South Wales, Australia had Covid-19 cases onboard, according to the government’s website. The Coral Princess was categorized as “Tier 3” — the highest risk level — indicating that more than 10% of passengers are positive or that the vessel is unable to maintain critical services.
Pursuant to Australian regulations, passengers who test positive onboard cruise ships must self-isolate for at least five days. But that’s a far cry from being “trapped” onboard, as some media reports suggested, said Lim.
Those who weren’t infected were “allowed by local health authorities to enjoy schedules and programs,” he said.
Is it safe to cruise again? Yes, say fans who are cruising again
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