What Happens to The Billion Dollar Cruise Industry, Hit By Corona Pandemic

Travel and tourism is one thing that was the biggest hit in the Covid 19 pandemic in year 2020, which they say was supposedly a 'boom' year for the shipping industry. My personal experience in Fiji, and coming home was something.

I can tell you, how difficult it can become, if you Outside your home country. Coming home and restricted, largely.

Coming back to cruise ships. I used to see the Pacific Explorer tucked at the Port of Suva. 

Even if the tourism business is under  pressure ahead of the crucial summer season in the northern hemisphere (Europe and America). Th risk of catching coronavirus, social distancing rules at sea is as good as a log and adds pressure. The ships across the world are merely marooned by a shore or a harbour. Mostly appear ghostly (can imagine though).

Thousands of people got laid off in a swipe. Carnival - 32,000 waiting for repratriation, Royal Carribbean - 26000, out of 77,000 (rest assured remaining shall go home sooner). 

RC Symphony is five times bigger than Titanic

Have been reading on the billion dollar luxury cruise industry and how hard it has been to avoid this inevitable damning Covid19 crisis. Absolutely, off the hook and attacked the humanity like a whip.

As we write, the US, Miami based Carnival Corporation must have planned to sell off 13 ships Manning nine brands. It also announced  a $4.4bn loss in 2Q20

“To reduce our cash burn and have a more efficient fleet once we do resume cruising, we have aggressively shed less efficient ships,” Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald informed.

So what happens now? Travel is off the plan? What happens to thousands of alternative jobs this industry indirectly generated? Governments across had issued "no sail" edicts. 

In my next edition, shall explore options. We have. Or not.