12/05/2020
More information is coming out about how cruising is expected to change as the industry reawakens.
Plans are being made, but lines are working closely with the CDC. Carnival is planning to have 8 ships start cruising in August. Norwegian expects its lines to start operating in the September - October timeframe. Other lines, including Princess and Holland are expected to start cruising in the Fall, around the same time as Norwegian.
The experience is likely to be a little different though. According to a Cruise Critic interview with Frank Del Rio, the president of Norwegian, being able to reopen and make passengers feel safe is going to be of paramount importance. "We're going to throw the kitchen sink at it because we need to establish confidence", he said.
Washing hands, which has already been highly enforced, will be even moreso, Only tables for 4 are likely to be used, with more distance between tables. Lines like Norwegian, with more specialty restaurants have some benefit because they don't rely on their large dining rooms as much. Masks will likely be highly suggested while in public spaces. And at least at first, the cruise lines are likely not to fill their ships completely to aide in social distancing.
What else? It sounds as though the lines are going to invest in lots of technology and enhanced cleaning. From enhanced air filtration systems to UV disinfecting, we will likely see a lot of new ways of cleaning.
They may also add showtimes to popular events to keep space in theaters as well - potentially as much as 50% reduction in capacity.
This "new normal" for the cruising industry might make a cruise ship one of the safest places one can be, if you can imagine!
We're looking ahead and hope you are too. Cobaltia has interest lists forming for escorted cruises in 2021 available on our web site at https://www.cobaltiatravel.com/escorted-travel. Check it out for more information!
