What next for the cruise industry?

It has been a blood bath, out there.

At the moment, according to the very useful CruiseWatch site, the cruise ships we knew and loved are stranded, either at sea with nowhere to go, or stuck in port. Le Laperouse, for instance, which was lying forlornly at anchor off Motutapu Island in Auckland Harbour, is now lying at anchor in Noumea, New Caledonia.  Forlornly?  Perhaps.  Noumea was supposed to be part of a Coral Sea cruise, now cancelled.  But at least the people on shore speak French.

It is hard to find a place to anchor safely.  After the Ruby Princess debacle, where passengers were allowed to disembark untested, Australia established a 30-day ban on international cruise ship arrivals, and New Zealand announced a prohibition on cruise ships from entering its territory for more than three months.  Now, in an attempt to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, there are no cruises anywhere, at all.

It is frustrating and sad for the passsengers, but at least they are getting their money back, or a credit for a future cruise -- as you can see in this chart.  But do spare a thought for the crews.  Their diminishing pay is almost a big a worry as the diminishing stock of food.  According to a story in Stuff NZ,  fried fish heads are a staple for lunch. 

According to CDC -- the US center for disease control and prevention -- nearly 80,000 crew members are stuck on about 100 cruise ships that languish in or near US ports.  Unlike Le Laperouse, these ships are not able to start up the engines and head for other climes -- last Thursday the CDC issued a no-sail order for up to 100 days.  For the trapped sailors, it is a three-month cruise going nowhere.

In other parts of the world, the captains have been allowed to sail to strange and unusual ports, in an effort to repatriate crew members who can't get home because the planes are not flying.  Infuriatingly, some of these ports have refused to let the men and women land, trapping them even further.  As a Carnival spokesman wryly commented, fear and panic have taken over from human decency.  

But there are uplifting tales, too, of the outstanding camaraderie that has bonded these stranded sailors together.  Captains have been caring and kind.  Entertainers have turned to entertaining their shipmates.  And the meals produced by resourceful cooks are eaten in the dining rooms, where passengers were plied with gourmet food.  And, where passengers sat in convivial groups, the sailors are spaced well apart.

But the worry is greater than the problems of getting off the ship.  Many of these seafarers are supporting extended families.  They are employed on contract, which finishes when they get home.  Normally, another contract would be signed and commenced within a few weeks.  

But these are not normal times.