Hurtigruten has put its expedition cruiseships back into lay-up following a coronavirus outbreak on the 21,800-gt expedition cruiseship Roald Amundsen (built 2019).
The Norwegian cruiseship and ferry operator's chief executive, Daniel Skjeldam, described the decision to suspend the recently relaunched cruises until further notice as being “the only responsible choice”.
With other cruise-linked coronavirus outbreaks occurring elsewhere, more industry players attempting a comeback could be forced to follow suit.
Last Friday, 36 crew members on the Roald Amundsen tested positive for Covid-19 despite strict protocols to prevent such an occurrence.
More cases
At the same time, crews about to join AIDA Cruises and TUI Cruises ships in Germany, and a passenger on board a Paul Gaugin Cruises ship tested positive for the virus.
Skjeldam said Hurtigruten would only resume cruises when it is absolutely confident it can “carry out our operations in line with all requirements from the authorities and with the even stricter requirements we have set for ourselves”.
Affected vessels include the Roald Amundsen, its sistership Fridtjof Nansen and the 7,300-gt Spitsbergen (built 2015).
Hurtigruten's Norwegian coastal ferry services will continue to operate on a reduced frequency.
Hurtigruten is one of a number of small number of cruise lines that attempted a limited restart of cruise operations using smaller ships operating what are effectively domestic itineraries.
Other European players that have recently restarted include AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises, Ponant and SeaDream Yacht Club, while Genting Cruise Lines has launched cruises out of Taiwan and US-based UnCruise Adventures has restarted in Alaska.
Industry observers said the negative publicity from the outbreaks on the Roald Amundsen and the 19,170-gt Paul Gauguin (built 1997) could shatter public confidence despite cruise line assurances about strict protocols for health and safety.
“It is not just a question of getting bookings, it is also a question of whether communities will allow cruiseships to visit. Smaller towns and villages — especially remote ones with limited healthcare facilities — will not want to take the risk,” one source within the expedition cruise sector said.
The cruise industry largely remains in suspension, with most lines announcing a rolling series of monthly programme cancellations.
Some, such as Genting’s Crystal Cruises and Piraeus-based Celestyal Cruises, have written off the entire year and are planning a 2021 restart.
