Operational management
After cautious planning and some trepidation, domestic cruising has returned to the British Isles, with the spike in demand marking Britain’s busiest ever summer of cruising. Abi Millar speaks to Nigel Blanks, CEO of Saga Cruises, and Ben Bouldin, vice president, EMEA, Royal Caribbean about vaccine policy, the challenges of safeguarding passengers and staff on board, and restarting operations after almost a year and half of inactivity.
Close to home O
n 20 May, three days after the UK government gave the green light for domestic cruising, the new MSC Virtuosa set sail from Southampton. Judged by MSC Cruises’ usual standards, the ship’s maiden voyage perhaps didn’t make too much of a splash. It hosted just 1,000 passengers, despite having capacity for 6,200, and its itinerary consisted of a four-day round trip via the Isle of Portland in Dorset.
Nonetheless, this was a benchmark moment both for MSC Cruises, and for the UK cruise industry in general. MSC Virtuosa was the first cruise ship since the start of the pandemic to set sail from UK waters, marking the end of a 14-month standstill. “We are incredibly proud that MSC Virtuosa’s first ever sailing heralds the resumption of
Operators say that demand has been high, with passengers keen to resume an activity denied to them for well over a year.
cruise holidays from British ports and we would like to thank the UK government and other local authorities for their support to us, and the overall cruise industry to allow domestic cruising to restart,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. Two days later, the Viking Venus embarked from Portsmouth on its inaugural voyage. Marella Cruises and P&O Cruises resumed travel in June, with many others following suit as the summer wore on. By August, there were 18 cruise lines operating 23 ships with itineraries around the British coastline, marking the busiest summer of cruising Britain had ever seen.
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World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
Jackson Thakker
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