To say that COVID-19 has negatively impacted the cruise industry is a massive under-statement.
From the early days of the pandemic the industry not only had to contend with ongoing negative publicity but also stop sail orders across much of the globe and finding a safe way back to water.
The cruise industry deserves some praise for how it seems to have put commercial objectives to one side to get together and agree steps for a way forward.
Back in the summer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Group unveiled the Healthy Sail Panel to develop health and safety standards for cruising.
Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean, says the initiative wasn’t about reassuring the Centre for Disease Control or the public but was about change.
Fain, who was speaking at the Phocuswright Conference 2020 online event, adds that the thinking was to develop the “best protocols” and bring leading experts together to find the “right way to sail safely.”
Much has been learned since the initiative was unveiled according to Michael Leavitt, co-chair of the panel and former governor of Utah, with 74 recommendations published in September, which the industry is committed to.
Leavitt describes the Healthy Sail Panel as the “center of gravity” for safety conversations when it comes to COVID-19.
He points to innovation around tracking and tracing and on-board ventilation as innovative outcomes and says improvements are ongoing and the way back to sailing will be step-by-step.
Watch the full session below:
Taking the Conversation Beyond the Middle Seat - The Phocuswright Conference Online 2020