Whether or not you book a cruise today, during the Covid-19 pandemic, is a potentially life and death decision. This is particularly true of those 60 plus and those with serious underlying ailments, but anyone may decide to simply forgo cruising unless and until a proven vaccine is universally available.
Your choice and that of millions of other travelers may also be a make or break moment for the cruise business, already reeling from months of lost revenue and millions in un-budgeted costs. The virus is the root of the problem, but decisions to keep ships operating in the early days of the pandemic fueled both public skepticism and federal bans on cruise departures. Beyond government holds, cruise lines continue to push back the date on which they will resume sailing due to the reduced number of open ports and the need to refurbish ships.
The industry says it will rise to the challenge with new approaches that preserve sanitation and social distancing, but it’s hard to imagine “no contact” cruising. The heavy steel construction of monumental cruise ships makes significant modifications expensive, if ships are laid up and refitted. If the passenger load is cut sharply to reduce crowding, then prices presumably will have to rise proportionately. That likely reduces the percentage of vacationers who can afford a cruise.
Most modern cruise ships were built to squeeze as many passengers as possible into as little space as possible. This includes cramped crew quarters, small guest cabins, narrow companionways, high capacity elevators, and dining and recreation areas engineered for the most efficient use of space.
For dinner, two seatings at 6 and 8 p.m. may turn into four at 4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. to maintain separation. The same for shows in the theater and lounges. Consider the wear and tear on chefs, servers, and performers, not just the inconvenience to passengers.
Even if you haven’t wandered every deck during a past cruise, you know there are many pinch points where avoiding other passengers or crew is close to impossible. Well-heeled cruisers may be able to book smaller luxury or expedition ships that may restrict exposure to a few hundred fellow passengers, rather than the thousands of people on middle-market cruise lines. But the threat of virus transmission will remain.
You rely on all passengers to follow health guidance, such as washing hands. If you have cruised before, you likely will have seen too many guests leave a toilet without washing their hands, or observed children’s hands all over the desert selections. Norovirus has been a common gastrointestinal outbreak on many cruise ships. Will you trust passengers to be chastened by Covid-19 and behave responsibly on the next cruise? You can ask yourself parallel questions about airports, airplanes, transfers, shore excursions.
If you are still considering booking, do not count on going ashore at all the ports listed in the itinerary. Some countries, leery of masses of visitors spreading disease, say they will not welcome cruise ships till 2021 or longer. Some, like Venice, see the pandemic as an opportunity to permanently, severely reduce the tsunami of tourists that have nearly ruined that destination for both locals and visitors.
If you do choose to cruise this fall, consider sailing from and to U.S. ports. To avoid the risk of exposure while flying, drive to and from the ports. And go ashore at a time when the cruise line will guarantee social distancing at the gangway or on the tender. Socially distant embarking and disembarking will probably stretch over more hours than in the past. Search for the smallest ship you can afford, to minimize the number of people who might infect you, or that you might infect.
If that sounds like a burden, not a vacation, stay home until Covid-19 is vanquished.
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