The global cruise industry has been going through a number of changes since the current crisis erupted in West Asia at the end of February.
Since 28th February, we have seen a whole slew of cancellations, particularly for lines passing through or docking in West Asian ports en route to the Mediterranean and much of Western Europe.
At the same time, a number of vessels that were already in the region when the conflict hit are still stranded in light of the continued issues involving the Strait of Hormuz.
While all modes of sea travel, including mercantile marine, have been adversely impacted by the crisis, how is the luxury cruise sector currently faring and how are its key players coping?
Sailing through uncertain waters
To quote Dr Rachel JC Fu, director of the Eric Friedham Tourism Institute at the University of Florida: “Cruise itineraries used to be shaped by weather patterns, seasonal demand, and port popularity. Today, they are increasingly dictated by geopolitics, insurance viability, and security risk.”
Indeed, the ongoing conflict has served as a crash course in quick thinking and problem solving for the global cruise industry.
In recent weeks, cruise lines have needed to make rapid decisions regarding cancellation, rerouting, and even the potential redeployment of vessels in affected areas.
Other factors that have merited close consideration are the possibility of withdrawn coverage on the part of insurance companies, difficulties regarding port access in high conflict zones, and maritime advisories changing practically from one minute to the next.
Such operational recalibration certainly poses a challenge for cruise lines to maintain profitability in the face of hampered operations, and this has resulted in some fairly innovative approaches.
The dawn of expedition luxury
The words luxury and expedition cruising do not seem to go together: in the former, you get all the bells and whistles of land-based hospitality whilst onboard; in the latter, you get rough and ready like the explorers of a past age.
Current circumstances, however, have brought these two concepts together in what is being referred to as expedition luxury.
In this context, luxury yacht lines like the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection are making a conscious shift from leisurely sailings to more purposeful voyages that enable passengers to channel their inner explorer whilst enjoying a truly bespoke shipboard experience.
Along with these exquisite amenities, luxury lines are changing up the game by offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences, often involving rarely seen natural phenomena like total solar eclipses in the Nordic zone, to give their clients the ultimate onboard experience.
Keeping things flexible
Furthermore, cruise lines have learnt a major lesson in the face of conflict: that of remaining flexible whilst ensuring the safety and security of everyone on board.
As such global cruise lines have tied up with intelligence experts to stay abreast of ongoing issues in affected regions, as well as local and regional security authorities.
As insurance is a key factor in contemporary travel, especially given current circumstances, these companies and any third-party tour operators and travel agents are also working with insurance providers to provide ample cover for both passengers and crew.
Booking flexibility has also become a major point for cruise lines, as it gives clients the ability to cancel or change itineraries depending on the local situation.
These are, perhaps, small steps; but if these enable the global cruise industry to stay in business as well as offer a more sustainable way forward, then these are changes that are more than worth it.
