2020: The Year that Cruising Stopped!

There have been many unprecedented events that impacted the cruise industry and cruise ships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video covers how COVID-19 led to cancelled cruises, cruise ship COVID outbreaks, the laying up of 300 cruise ships and a look at the cruise ships sent to the scrapyards in Turkey and India! In February 2020, Princess Cruises was one of the earliest hit by COVID-19, with an outbreak aboard the Diamond Princess. Diamond Princess was quarantined in Japan. An outbreak aboard the Grand Princess led to intense media attention, and linked cruising to the global spread of COVID. In February 2020 Cruise lines cancelled Asian itineraries. Several ships redirected to Australian waters at short notice - such as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Holland America’s 81,800 ton cruise ship MS. Westerdam was refused entry into multiple Asian ports across five countries due to COVID fears. The ship was finally allowed to dock in Cambodia and disembark guests. As COVID-19 continued to spread across the world, more cruise ships were found to be carrying infectious passengers. Ruby Princess, Artania and Zaandam cruise ships were among those hit, creating more media. In March, Fred Olsen’s Braemar cruise ship was refused entry into ports in Barbados, leaving the cruise ship at sea and unable to collect a container worth of food awaiting the ship in Barbados. For more check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFDkbjfbvy4 In March Princess Cruises announced they were pausing their global cruising operation. Two days later the rest of the cruise industry (CLIA) followed, announcing a worldwide voluntary cruise pause. Cruises due to depart in March and April were cancelled. In many cases the cruise pause started as voyages came to an end – but longer cruises were ended early. Countries began to impose cruise ship bans. New Zealand was among the first, issuing a cruise ban on 14 March. Australia followed with a cruise ship ban on 27 March 2020. Both countries maintain some of the strictest cruise bans in the world. Cruise ships based in these countries had to leave local waters, and headed north to the Philippines for layup off Manila Bay. The United States CDC issued a no sail order effecting cruise ships in mid-March. Returning cruise ships were generally allowed to disembark passengers in the US so long as increased cruise ship health and safety checks had been completed. Throughout March and April 2020, cruise ships returned to their homeports and disembarked passengers. Some cruise ships were undertaking world cruises – which presented a logistical challenge. These cruise ships required access to foreign ports to disembark passengers, such as RMS Queen Mary 2 which disembarked its world cruise guests in Australia before Australian ports were closed to cruise ships. In May, hundreds of cruise ships around the world entered into layup. Cruise lines then worked to repatriate thousands of crew and any remaining passengers from the hundreds of laid up cruise ships. Multiple Cruise ships from many cruise brands sailed on voyages to take crew to their home countries. Later these cruise ships headed to lay up anchorage off the costs (cruise ships are anchored off Weymouth UK, Bournemouth UK, Manila Bay, Barbados and Bahamas). This has led to the south coast of the UK and Manila becoming a popular ship spotting area... You can see this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVmcEvcmsbY Pullmantur Cruises collapsed in June 2020. CMV Cruises ceased operations in July. CMV’s cruise ship fleet have remained laid up, but the collapse of Pullmantur resulted in the MV. Sovereign and MV. Monarch cruise ships sailing to the scrapyards of Aliağa, Turkey. Carnival Cruise Line cruise ships were also scrapped – Carnival Fantasy in July, and Carnival Inspiration in August. Other ships that have left the Carnival Corp fleet inlcude Costa Victoria - sold in June for scrap and Costa neoRomantica was sold to Celestyal Cruises. P&O’s Oceana left their cruise fleet in July. Holland America Line sold their cruise ships MV. Maasdam & MV. Veendam in August while MS. Amsterdam and MS. Rotterdam were sold to Fred Olsen to become MS. Bolette and MS. Borealis. Cruise ships Boudicca & Black Watch withdrawn. Cruise lines were cancelling voyages and selling ships while some brands attempted cruising restarts. MSC, Costa and Dream Cruises have restarted. IMAGE REFERENCES: Andrew Sassoli-Walker http://solentphotographer.com Emma LeTeace http://emmacruises.com Vicki Cross (all as referenced) – and: Image 1: Westerdam / Public Domain / "Barek": https://bit.ly/3cwZFzy Image 2: Monarch / CC-BY-SA-4.0 / Pjotr Mahhonin: https://bit.ly/3i5eafc Image 3: Carnival Fantasy / Ron Cogswell / CC-BY-SA-2.0: https://bit.ly/2FWR0us Image 4: MSC Grandiosa / Kees Torn / CC-BY-SA-2.0: https://bit.ly/3hZPwN5 Music: YouTube Audio Library. -- #cruisenews #cruiseline #cruising