Operations management
River cruises are likely to be up and running again faster than their oceangoing counterparts.
This could potentially be accomplished through digital vaccine passports, which are due to be rolled out in Estonia at the end of April. “Will it be the same as it was for the last 20 years? I don’t think so,” Leskovar admits. “It’ll change and we all need to learn to adapt. But those are the steps we need to get moving again and start resuming a ‘normal’ situation.” Demand is unlikely to be a problem. While summer bookings are predictably thin on the ground – nor are they being encouraged by Amadeus – there is plenty of interest for the latter part of the year, the majority of which comes from bookings that were initially made in 2020. It’s a similar story for AmaWaterways, with strong bookings from September to December and 2022 looking “absolutely fantastic,” according to Schreiner. Of course, with 95% of their usual clientele coming from North America, this will be highly dependent on travel restrictions and the vaccination effort in the US. “I think we will hopefully get some good months of cruising in 2021, but mainly it will be the year to adapt,” he anticipates. “Then we’ll come back at full speed again in 2022.”
An influx of ocean cruisers There are several reasons why river cruise lines are likely to be up and running again faster than their oceangoing counterparts. Not only are smaller vessels easier to manage, but also their heating and air conditioning systems don’t tend to cross-ventilate. And, if someone does fall ill with Covid on a river vessel, they can easily be transported to a facility that can properly care for them.
In addition, crew members are generally EU residents, whereas ocean cruise lines often bring in employees from all over the world, which involves navigating many more travel and flight restrictions. “From the point of view of consumer mentality, perception and confidence, I think passengers will initially feel safer on a river ship, where you have a smaller crowd and more control, and are closer to
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infrastructure,” Leskovar says. Schreiner believes there will be an influx of ocean cruisers into the river cruising space, with its small but spacious vessels and increasingly high-end feel. “From that side, I think river cruising will boom in the next few years,” he predicts. “I’ve been doing this for 29 years now and when river cruising started, many people thought it was boring, slow and for old people. But once people went on a cruise, they realised how wonderful it is to be able to visit these small towns. It’s developed a lot over the years and ship design has also become much more luxurious.” He’s referring at least in part to AmaWaterways’ newest vessel, the AmaMagna, which is twice the size of the line’s other ships and only holds about 20 more passengers. “It’s a magnificent experience,” he smiles, adding that from a tour operator perspective, it’s also easier to charter a river vessel than an ocean liner. “An agency can quickly come and charter a ship for 100 or 150 people, and we’re seeing a lot of that.” Leskovar anticipates a continuation of the trends that were already underway before the pandemic, such as more active cruises and themed programmes focused around wine or food – activities that appeal to the industry’s increasingly youthful clientele. However, he’s cautious in his predictions on when it will get back up to full speed, or indeed when new vessels will be delivered or new itineraries introduced. “We had plans for new destinations that right now we’re keeping on ice because it’s still unclear how things are going to develop. With shipyards backlogged, we can’t really plan new ships either. The industry will recover, but it’ll take a little longer than all of us hope,” he says.
Leskovar remembers when tourism organisations began to release studies suggesting it would take until 2023 or 2024 for a full recovery. “Initially, I was offended by that,” he laughs. “But the more you look at it, the clearer it becomes that it will take a few years to recover, especially with travellers that have to cross borders or fly long distances. When it comes back, though, it will come back strong.” ●
World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
Amadeus River Cruises
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