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The first large cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean was set to depart from Genoa on Sunday, as the struggling travel industry in Italy hopes to regain ground after a coronavirus hiatus.
MSC Grandiosa’s departure from the North West port city at 7:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. GMT) represents a high-stakes test for the global industry in the key market in the Mediterranean and beyond.
The international cruise industry has been battered not only by the ongoing health crisis that in March forced the global grounding of its ships, but also by accusations of sloppy handling of the outbreak in its early stages.
Cruise lines are hoping that new, more stringent protocols will allow them to control the ever-lingering threat of coronavirus aboard their ships while providing travelers with a cruise experience that doesn’t disappoint.
Passengers arriving and preparing to check in before taking a mandatory coronavirus blood test inside the terminal told AFP they were not concerned about the virus. Some have said they believe cruises are now safer than other vacation options.
“I couldn’t miss the first cruise after COVID,” cruise blogger Rosalba Scarrone, 64, told AFP.
“I took 87 cruises, can you imagine how much I suffered from not leaving February until now?”
The Grandiosa is part of the MSC Private Cruises fleet, founded in Naples but now based in Geneva. The ship will sail to the ports of Civitavecchia near Rome, Naples, Palermo and Valletta, Malta, during the seven-day cruise.
Competitor Costa Cruises, owned by Carnival, has chosen to postpone the restart of its Mediterranean cruises until September, with departures from Trieste and Genoa for Italian-only customers. The company said the measure was designed to “ensure maximum safety for guests, crew and local communities.”
– Fewer passengers –
Much depends on the decision to restart cruises. Italy represents the bulk of the cruise industry in Europe, collecting 14.5 billion euros in revenue per year ($ 17 billion) and supporting nearly 53,000 jobs, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA ).
The group estimated that the potential economic loss from suspended cruises across Europe could amount to around € 25.5 billion.
“The trip … represents a tangible sign of a return to one of the fundamental economic industries of our city,” said the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci. More than 2 million cruise passengers left the city last year.
Last week, the Italian government, which is working to revive the country’s moribund economy after a lockdown of more than two months, gave cruise operators the go-ahead to resume operations from August 15.
MSC officials have said about 2,500 passengers will take part in its first cruise, limited to around 70% of normal capacity.
All eyes in the industry will be on the Grandiosa after a smaller cruise operator, Norway’s Hurtigruten, was forced earlier this month to suspend its newly restarted service after dozens of passengers and passengers crews have tested positive for COVID-19.
Global health officials have criticized the industry’s slow response to the spread of the virus at the start of the crisis earlier this year before ships were beached in March, from lax crew monitoring to continuous operation from self-service buffets and gyms, to the lack of personal protective equipment.
– A buffet is served –
As of June 11, 3,047 people have been infected and 73 people have died aboard 48 cruise ships affiliated with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) business group, according to Johns Hopkins University data provided by CLIA.
Health officials say the cramped living and working spaces for the crew, as well as partially enclosed environments, have contributed to a greater risk of infection on cruises than at other sites.
MSC has suspended the rest of its Mediterranean cruises until October, with the exception of an August 29 cruise departing from the port of Bari in southern Italy.
The company said its new security protocol exceeded national and industry standards, including daily temperatures taken and escorted travel in controlled groups for excursions.
Buffet food, the highlight of the cruise experience, will be served at passenger tables.
ams / pma
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