Post by Owen on Sept 23, 2020 1:47:42 GMT
1 ~~~ How the Cruise Industry Got Passengers Home After the Travel Ban ~~~
www.cntraveler.com/story/how-the-cruise-industry-got-passengers-home-after-the-travel-ban ~ 21 September 2020 ~
Lost in the coverage of outbreaks on a few ships was the cruise industry's extraordinary effort in getting thousands of travelers home safely.
This story is part of our New Standard series, examining where travel is headed. Read more about how we define the New Standard here.
As the coronavirus exploded on the world stage, cruise lines faced the most visible challenge of any sector of the travel industry. Their first problem was assisting stranded cruisers. When President Trump announced his European travel ban on March 11, an estimated 1.1 million passengers were still at sea, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Crews, no strangers to the art of crisis response, launched a coordinated effort to bring them back, in spite of port closures and other obstacles. “Their dedication shined during this time,” says Crystal Cruises president and CEO Tom Wolber. His company was one of many that had no reported COVID-19 cases—a reality that may surprise some, given the media's sensationalistic depictions of the pandemic's impact on cruise ships.
www.cntraveler.com/story/how-the-cruise-industry-got-passengers-home-after-the-travel-ban ~ 21 September 2020 ~