What does Covid-19 outbreak mean for the cruise industry?

A new viral outbreak is wreaking havoc on cruises in Asia, where some passengers are stranded aboard ships and others cannot leave China.

Japan’s health ministry has confirmed 174 cases of the Covid-19 virus aboard Carnival Corp’s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, Japan.

The ship that carried 3,700 passengers and crew into Japan is expected to remain under quarantine until at least February 19.

The operators of a cruise ship that had been barred for days from docking by four governments announced on Wednesday it will finally land and disembark passengers in Cambodia.

Thailand denied permission for the MS Westerdam to dock at a Thai port after it had already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.

The ship has been unwelcome because of fears that those aboard could be carrying the virus, though no cases of the disease have been confirmed among the more than 2,200 passengers and crew on board. in China

Here are some questions and answers about the virus’s impact on the cruise industry and passengers:

– How many cruise ships are in Asia right now?

The Cruise Lines International Association , which represents around 90% of global cruise capacity, says around 10 of its 272 member ships are currently in Asia.

Six of the 10 ships have cancelled their itineraries for now, including Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas and MSC’s Splendida.

– Have any ships been allowed to let passengers off?

Yes. On Sunday, Dream Cruises said passengers on its World Dream were cleared to disembark in Hong Kong after screenings found no positive tests for the virus.

The ship had arrived in Hong Kong four days earlier.

In Italy, more than 6,600 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark from Carnival’s Costa Smeralda on January 31 after a Chinese passenger was found to have the flu and not the virus.

– Are cruise shops banning some passengers from boarding?

Yes. Policies vary, but in general, cruise companies won’t allow passengers or crew to board if they have visited, travelled from or passed through airports in China, Hong Kong and Macau within a certain time period — usually 14 days or 30 days.

Royal Caribbean was banning all passengers with passports from China, Hong Kong and Macau, but the company lifted that ban Monday. Norwegian Cruise Lines is still banning passengers who hold those passports.

– Is a quarantine the best way to handle a viral outbreak on a cruise?

According to Tara Smith, a professor who researches infectious diseases at Kent State University’s College of Public Health, a hospital — not a ship — is the best place to keep people quarantined.

The Diamond Princess may have already had environmental contamination when the quarantine began, which puts passengers and crew at risk of further transmission.

– What other precautions are cruise lines taking?

Cruise lines are scanning the temperatures of passengers and crew and having them complete questionnaires before they board any ship.

MSC says it is conducting elevated deep-cleaning on its ships.

Royal Caribbean also says it has stepped up cleaning of its ships and air filtration systems.

– Can passengers catch the virus through the ventilation systems?

Japanese health ministry official Masami Sakoi said the cabins on the Diamond Princess have separate air-conditioning systems, so guests are not sharing the same air.

“We do not consider the air-conditioning system as the cause of spreading infections,” he said.

– What is life like for passengers aboard these ships?

Christina Kerby, a communications director with a health care company in San Francisco, struck an upbeat tone in her Twitter posts aboard the Westerdam.

She says the ship is holding spin classes, magic shows and towel-folding demonstrations. But she expressed regret when Philippine crew members could not disembark in Manila to see their families, as they had hoped.

– When will cruise operations return to normal?

That is unclear. Royal Caribbean has cancelled eight China sailings through March 4. Princess Cruises has cancelled 12 cruises through March 20. Holland America said it is weighing port restrictions in Asia before deciding on a cruise scheduled to leave Yokohama on February 28.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has cancelled scheduled Asian cruises on the Norwegian Spirit through December 7.

In some cases, cruises are being rerouted. Norwegian said a 24-day cruise leaving South Africa on March 22 that was supposed to end in Singapore will now last 27 days and end in Greece, for example.

– How much will this impact cruise companies?

Asia is not yet a major destination for cruises. This year, around 10% of cruise ships worldwide were scheduled to be deployed to Asia, according to Cruise Lines International Association. That’s down slightly from 2017, and compares to 32% deployed to the Caribbean and 28% to Europe and the Mediterranean.

But even if 2020 passenger volumes from Asia are lower than expected, they can recover quickly. In 2015, a viral outbreak in Korea hurt demand for cruises from China. But by 2016, Korea was once again a top destination for Chinese travellers, Ms Farley said.